The Dugout Doctors present a photo gallery of baseball’s sexiest wives and girlfriends! And sorry boys, this one is NSFW!

Aaron Boone's wife Laura Cover

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The Dugout Doctors present the top 10 baseball movies ever.

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(Ed. Note: Recently, my girlfriend asked if she could write a post ranking the most attractive players in baseball. I didn’t know whether to be excited or jealous. The following is the result of her extensive research.)

To say that my boyfriend is obsessed with baseball may be an understatement. Now, I understand that to most girls this might be a turn-off. I can certainly see how one could get frustrated with the subscription to MLB.tv, meaning that he can (and does) watch every game possible, and how one might get annoyed with one-sided discussions of “totally-under-discussed-but-really-important-and-telling” statistics. But generally, I’m not “most girls.” I truthfully really like baseball. I am sure of this because I get teary-eyed when he shows me pre-season commercials, hyping up America’s past-time with montages of the greats and remarkably inspirational music in the background. But after a few innings on the couch when the snacks are mostly gone and the “cheering” (ehem, yelling) is steadily getting louder and louder, I too can grow a bit weary of baseball. But the good news is that I’ve learned a coping mechanism. Here’s a little secret: there are a lot of very, very attractive baseball players. And since baseball is a relatively slow sport (some might argue), there are a lot of close-ups. You can totally make it through all nine or more innings, you just have to know WHO to concentrate on. This dream(y) squad will help. Check out my picks for the hottest player in each position:

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1B: Gaby Sanchez

Team: Florida Marlins
Age: 27
Relationship status: Married (Boo)
Fun fact: He’s Cuban, and he enjoys sky-diving. A spicy risk-taker! His Adam’s apple also protrudes the perfect amount.
Runner-up: Matt LaPorta

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2B: Chase Utley

Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 31
Relationship status: Married (Boo)
Fun fact: He’s a HUGE animal lover, and has raised more than $45,000 for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. So. Cute. Ripped but also gentle!
Runner-up: Robinson Cano

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SS: Hanley Ramirez

Team: Florida Marlins
Age: 27
Relationship status: Married (Boo)
Fun fact: Ramirez’s love of fashion gained fan attention when he wore bright teal cleats adorned with Mickey Mouse ears to the All-Star game. He even has his own clothing line called H2R. So if you can’t be with Ramirez, just dress your guy up in his clothing and call him Hanley. Close enough—he probably won’t even notice.
Runner-up: Jose Reyes

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3B: David Wright

Team: New York Mets
Age: 28
Relationship status: Single. GET IT LADIES
Fun fact: Started The David Wright Foundation that aims to increase awareness about MS. He is known to be very involved in charity, very nice to fans, very single, and he has a Delta Airlines plane named after him—the “David Wright Flight.” Oh wait, in other words—he’s perfect.
Runner-up: Evan Longoria

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Catcher: Joe Mauer

Team: Minnesota Twins
Age: 27
Relationship status: Unknown. You know what this means: GO FOR IT.
Fun fact: He is famous for the sideburns that he’s sported since joining the MLB, and in 2006 the Twins held “Joe Mauer Sideburns Night” in honor of him, giving out fake sideburns to the first 10,000 fans to arrive at the stadium. Sexy—everyone loves a good pair of sideburns.
Runner-up: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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LF: Jacoby Ellsbury

Team: Boston Red Sox
Age: 27
Relationship status: Dating, and may have had a secret wedding. Emphasis on MAY.
Fun fact: He was raised a Mormon but stopped attending services as a teen. Still, if another lady gets there before you do, it’s not too late!
Runner-up: Josh Willingham

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CF: Curtis Granderson

Team: New York Yankees
Age: 30
Relationship status: Rumored to have a girlfriend. Just speculation though. POUNCE.
Fun fact: He released a book in 2009 entitled All You Can be: Dream it, Draw It, Become It!, which uses his own story to inspire kids to pursue their dreams. Adorable! If you can convince him that your childhood dream was to be with him he’d be required to fulfill it.
Runner-up: Torii Hunter

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RF: Jason Heyward

Team: Atlanta Braves
Age: 21
Relationship status: Unknown. SCOOP HIM UP
Fun fact: His first at-bat in the Majors, this past season, was a homer. Baller. Also his jaw-line is, objectively speaking, the sexiest thing on earth.
Runner-up: André Ethier

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SP: Cliff Lee

Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 31
Relationship status: Married (Boo)
Fun fact: He turned down not one but TWO draft offers from MLB teams in order to attend college before playing. A lover of learning!
Runner-up: Edwin Jackson

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Closer: Huston Street

Team: Colorado Rockies
Age: 27
Relationship status: Married (Boo)
Fun fact: His father was the quarterback for the University of Texas, and his brother is a pitcher in the minor leagues. If you can’t have him, try for the rest of his athletic family! Then at least you can see Huston over the holidays.
Runner-up: Carlos Marmol

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Both coming back from Tommy-John surgery, Atlanta Brave Tim Hudson and Francisco Lirano of the Twins had a lot to prove. Sure enough, they were both dominant, and earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in their respective leagues.

There’s a few great stories every year. Brad Lidge won the NL honors in 2008 after his brilliant season without a blown save. Or Cliff Lee that same year, when he won the AL Cy Young just a season after a demotion to the minors.

It’s not a question of if anyone will have a magnificent rebound year in 2011, it’s a question of who. Let’s have a look at some likely candidates:

1. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, SFG

In 2009, his first full season in the majors, the Kung-Fu Panda took the league by storm– surprising those who had questioned how his weight would affect him. He hit .330/.387/.556, and his OPS was good for seventh in the league. He was just 22. The fans loved him, as did the Giants’ Front Office, though they had some concerns about that weight. Fantasy players snatched the heavy Sandoval up early in their drafts and waited for the results to roll in. Have I mentioned his weight? It, uh, caught up to him. As the corner infielder continued to balloon, he saw his OPS ride a steady decline. By the end of the season it sat at .732. That, coupled with grounding into a league-leading twenty-six double plays, forced Manager Bruce Bochy to bench Sandoval for much of the playoffs. Early reports are saying the youngster took his conditioning seriously this off-season (and the picture to the right would indicate the same) and he’s lost about 20 pounds. If 2009 Pablo is the real Pablo–while 2010 Pablo was some impostor (Keenan from SNL?)– he is comeback candidate #1.

2. Brandon Webb, SP, TEX

It’s somewhat ironic that Brandon Webb will be pitching for the Texas Rangers in 2011. Afterall, Owner Nolan Ryan has been outspoken about his disdain toward the new trend of coddling Starting Pitchers. Ryan feels his pitchers should be able to handle any workload, no matter how heavy. Yet a heavy workload is the likely reason behind Webb’s injury troubles as of late. After averaging 232 Innings Pitched from 2005-2008, Webb blew out his shoulder while pitching for the Diamondbacks on opening day of 2009. He has not thrown an in-game pitch since that day, and he’s looking for a place to revive his career. Texas won the sweepstakes, and they’re hoping the 2006 NL Cy Young winner can regain the devastating sinker that helped him dominate the league since his arrival in 2003.

3. Grady Sizemore, CF, CLE

Just a couple years ago, ESPN.com called Grady Sizemore the best overall player in baseball. A knee injury or two later, and Sizemore is simply “that player whose naked pictures leaked online.” Yes, it has been a disappointment to see Sizemore play only 139 games over the course of the last two seasons, but lets not forget that he’s only 28, and is only three years removed from a 133 OPS+ season. While rumors are circulating that the Indians are pursuing trade partners for the former All-Star, just imagine a healthy Sizemore patrolling center next to the always underrated Shin-Soo Choo. That outfield is good enough to help the Indians finish in, well, fourth. But the point is, given a successful recovery, Sizemore still has a lot left in the tank…Just hopefully no more batteries on his camera.

4. Carlos Lee, LF, HOU

The only way to explain Carlos Lee’s dropoff in 2010 is his age. 34 is not especially old, but it is around the time many players begin to deteriorate, especially the less agile ones. Lee–El Caballo to his friends (or anyone who has ever listened to a sportscaster)– was fantastic in 2008, great in 2009, and surprisingly bad this past season. There didn’t seem to be any injury concerns seeing as how he had 605 at bats. What other reason could cause an OBP to drop from .343 to .291, or a SLG% from .489 to .417 in one season? It looks like Lee, who had been great for almost ten full seasons is finally wearing down. But Astros fans, who don’t have much to look forward to, are holding out hope that he can play up to his former ability through the 2012 season, when his big contract is up.

5. AJ Burnett, SP, NYY

A. 16.5 Million
B. 10
C. 5.26
D. 2

What are those numbers you ask? Obviously, A is what AJ Burnett made in 2010. B? That’s how many games he won in thirty-three starts while pitching for the AL Wild Card winning New York Yankees. C is the atrocious starter’s ERA, up big time from 4.04 in 2009. The Yankees missed out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes this off-season, and recently learned that the always successful Andy Pettitte intends to retire. They made no big moves to compensate, and needless to say, they need Burnett, their big investment, to bounce back in a big way. Why? Because D corresponds to the number of reliable starters they have if he doesn’t.

6. Carlos Pena, 1B, CHC

The fourth Carlos on the Cubs, and the second on this list, the north side of Chicago is going to be pulling for the former Tampa Bay First Baseman in 2011. Pena is no stranger to a comeback year. After the Detroit Tigers released him prior to the 2006 season, Pena bounced around the minors for both the Yankees and Red Sox before the Rays scooped him up for the 2007 season and watched him set the franchise marks in HRs (46), RBIs (121) and walks (103). His .196/.325/.407 line in 2010 was certainly nothing to be praised, but the Cubs know his potential and signed him to a one-year contract for $10 million. Though I wouldn’t call them desperate, they sure would be pleased to see an OPS+ closer to the 172 he logged in 2007.

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Derek Jeter is getting old and his skills are declining. His contract is up in New York, but the Yankees, realizing he’s the face of the franchise, have offered Jeter $45 Million over three seasons. But the 36-year-old reportedly wants more. The Yankees won’t give in, and it appears the two sides are currently at a standstill.

If Jeter wants to get the money he feels he deserves, he’s going to have to focus on what makes him most successful. And that would be–just like any other rich, talented, handsome athlete–all the beautiful women he’s dated. Though the future Hall-of-Famer has been extremely consistent throughout his career, there have been minor statistical fluctuations. If he wants a bigger paycheck, he better study the pattern and pick the right girlfriend before it’s too late. So let’s take a look at the women of Derek Jeter’s life, and see how they affected his stats–for better or worse.

	Mariah Carey Resume: Megastar in the 90′s, Singer, “Actress”, currently married to Nick Cannon. Jeter’s ’96 Season: Though he played in a few games in ’95, 1996 was Jeter’s rookie season, as well as his first year with Carey. He started 157 games, hit .314, and led the Yankees to their first World Series title in 18 years. He was voted Rookie-of-the-Year by a landslide. Ah, young love. After their breakup, Jeter dabbled in some singers, models and Miss Universe (ho hum), until he met…
	Adriana Lima Resume: Brazilian Supermodel– Victoria’s Secret and Maybelline, currently married to Los Angeles Clippers Guard Marko Jaric. Jeter’s ’03 Season: It’s no coincidence Derek only played 119 Games in 2003–his fewest in a season, ever. If I were dating Adriana Lima, I too would lose interest in baseball. Hell, it’s a wonder the guy even remembered to eat. Despite missing a chunk of the season, Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner named Jeter the 11th Yankee Captain of all time.  Derek was so honored he responded “My girlfriend is Adriana Lima.” They lost the World Series to the Marlins, and Jeter moved on to an actress.
	Jessica Alba Resume: Actress, consistently placed at the top of various “hottest women” lists including Maxim, FHM andPeople. Jeter’s ’04 Season: While his Batting Average and On-Base Percentage declined, he had one of his biggest power seasons, cranking 23 HRs. Clearly Alba ignited a swing-for-the-fence mentality in the Yankee Captain. He made his sixth All-Star appearance that year, but the relationship fizzled out after he saw her performance in The Fantastic Four.
	Jessica Biel Resume: Actress, second known girl named Jessica to date Derek Jeter, currently with Justin Timberlake. Jeter’s ’06 Season: This was Jeter’s best season in the last ten years. The face of the franchise did everything right. He hit for power, got on base at an absurd clip of .417, and even stole 34 bases–all while playing good (though somewhat overrated) defense. Jeter was so honed in on his game that it leads me to believe Jessica Biel ranked quite low on the “Jeter Scale” (in which the average man’s ten is a Derek Jeter two), causing an off-season breakup.
	Gabrielle Union Resume: Actress, Model, currently dating Miami Heat Guard Dwayne Wade. Jeter’s ’07 Season: While he had another strong year, the stats were nowhere near as good as 2006. Then, Jeter had arguably the worst post-season of his career, as the Yankees fell to the Indians in four games. Some say it was his age catching up to him. Others claim he reached that point we all reach when we ask “why am I always up to my neck in beautiful women?” Hoping to return to his former glory, Jeter called it quits with Union.
	Minka Kelly Resume: Actress–Star of NBC’s Friday Night Lights, rumored to be engaged to Derek Jeter himself. Jeter’s ’10 Season: After rumors of the couple’s engagement spread in January of this year, speculation swirled over how the Captain would react to being tied down. NOT WELL. Jeter had what was easily his worst season, posting career lows in Batting Averarge, OBP and SLUG, as well as HRs. Somewhere between picking out a ring and choosing a best man (Nick Swisher?), Jeter forgot how to hit.

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So who should Derek Jeter be with? His only poor season came while he was in the grasp of Minka Kelly, so clearly she has to go. And if he can’t stay on the field while dating Victoria’s Secret models, then Adriana Lima’s no option either. Jeter made his name on big postseason moments–something he wasn’t able to accomplish while Gabrielle Union was around. And now that Mariah Carey is married with child, I think we can count her out. So, It comes down to one of the two Jessica’s, and judging by the numbers, Biel seems to be the best fit. Sounds like Jeter is going to have to take one for the pocketbook, and settle for Maxim Magazine’s 11th hottest woman alive.

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Now that we are in the wake of the Steriods Era we have to ask ourselves who was clean? We don’t know that and we probably never will. But we can’t just convict everyone who was around during that time. So let’s take the baseball from 1995 to 2005 and rank the best of baseball’s clean players.

In order to do this we have to do a few things:

1. If they have been accused of doing steroids they are discounted from the list. Even if it seems flimsy we must assume that if they are whispering there was reason.
2. We must not count pitchers once again.
3. We are going to assume the Steroid ERA began after the 94 Strike and ended after 2005. This means the steroid era was 95 to 05.
4. You had to have played in 6 of the 11 steroids seasons and your number are cool if you were coming into those years. If their career started before ’89 or after ’00 then they don’t make the list. We only looked at guys who played the majority of their career in the juiced era.

We have to temper our want to convict without evidence and we have to try and honor the guys who seemed to have played their career in the clean. Admittedly it was difficult finding many players who weren’t under the suspicion of steroids. But we found 11 worthy candidates.

I allowed Biggio because he didn’t play his first full season until 1989. Biggio would clearly have been forgotten about but when you search out clean players of the era his name continues to pop up. 3,000 career hits and a .280 average makes Biggio highly underrated. There are no flashy stats but there was consistency. He had 7 seasons of 150 hits. He also was hit by a pitch 285 times. 4 gold gloves and 5 silver sluggers. Not a bad career and one that will debating in cooperstown.

If you’re going to have one, you must have the other. Jeff Bagwell has to be on this list because he was a staple at first base for years and a dangerous hitter in the National League. I will say that I couldn’t find any evidence that Bagwell was ever accused of taking steroids but his numbers do seem to jump in his third year in the league. Still, if he hasn’t been accused we will assume he’s clean. Bagwell finished his career with 449 homeruns and a .297 career average. He’s got an MVP, a Gold Glove, and 4 Silver Slugger awards. In a era where few clean players played, Bagwell was one of the better ones.

Here’s a guy who often gets lost in the shuffle and that could be because his stats aren’t flashy but what you got from Torii Hunter was consistent production and the best glove in the business and maybe one of the 5 best center fielders(fielding) of all time. He’s got 9 Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award. The real question to determine Hunter’s greatness is to ask yourself: Is there another center fielder you would have taken instead of Hunter during these years? Chances are you wouldn’t give him up for anyone.

There is a stigma that players will hit better at Colorado’s Coors Field. I’m not sure that’s the case so we’ll just assume it isn’t and put Todd Helton on this list. Anyone with a lifetime .325 average should be on the list. 11 times he’s batted over .300 with 4 seasons of over 100 RBI’s. 9 seasons he’s had an OBP over .400. The fact is that Helton doesn’t play every game at Coors Field. He’s a good hitter and in the steroid era he looks even better.

Chipper didn’t know what losing was in the regular season until recently. He’s the consummate winner and someone who only knows how to play the game at a high level. 10 times he has hit over .300. There were 14 seasons of 20 homeruns. 10 years of a .400 OBP. He has an MVP and 2 Silver Sluggers. He’s the heart and soul of the Braves and should be a lock for Cooperstown.

Boy does Thome get lost in the shuffle of the Steroids era. This is a guy who has been nothing more than country strong during his career. He’s had 9 seasons with over 100 walks. 8 seasons of 100 runs scored. 9 seasons with over 100 runs driven in. 9 seasons of 35 home runs or more. If he plays another year he’ll have 600 for his career. This is a guy who is one of the better hitters and run producers in baseball history. Guys took roids to be able to do what Thome did at the plate clean. That’s worthy of mentioning.

It’s really something to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball in a time where you were clean but the sport was far from it. Vlad was just that. Only 1 time in his major league career has he hit below .300. 8 seasons of 30 plus homers and 9 seasons of 100 RBI’s. The fact is that Vladimir has a .320 lifetime average and can hit the ball anywhere it’s thrown. He has an MVP and 7 silver sluggers. He was never going to win a gold glove but he is the definition of natural born hitter.

Mr. Big Moment. I spoke too soon when I said that Chipper was the consummate winner. That title belongs to Jeter. The thing about Jeter is he flew right under the radar with his numbers because in an era of inflated numbers. Jeter quietly has hit .315 for a career and with 11 seasons over .300. His career OBP is .385 and he’s had no less than 25 doubles for his career. He’s had 6 seasons of 200 hits. He has 4 Silver Sluggers and 4 Gold Gloves and he also has 5 World Series Rings. Jeter plays big in big moments but his regular moments aren’t that shabby either.

2700 plus career hits. 500 doubles. .300 lifetime average. Without question the best second baseman of his time and maybe the best second baseman of all time. He had 10 Gold Gloves and 4 Silver Slugger awards. He also has World Series rings to boot. Robbie Alomar getting denied as a first ballot Hall of Famer was absolutely laughable. He’ll have to make it this time around.

One of the biggest travesties in baseball is when fans or media members doubt the Hall of Fame Credentials of Frank Thomas.

Let’s be clear on a few things:

A. Most people agree that Thomas never did steroids, HGH, or anything else. Thomas has been out in front of that and there has never been a whisper to that effect. This is important because it makes his numbers all the more amazing.

B. Yes, he was a sub standard first baseman which prompted the White Sox to use him as a DH but the DH is a real position that people get paid a lot of money to play. So it should count and would it have been better had he played the position but sucked at it? If Mickey Mantle had been a butcher in the outfield, would he be deserving because at least he played the position poorly everyday? It’s a weak argument and it ends here.

So with that being said you have to look at Frank’s first 10 full seasons:

These are as good as you will ever see in baseball. Only 2 seasons with less than 30 homeruns during that time. Minus the 1998 season where he hit .265 and the 1999 season where he had only 77 RBI, Thomas was a lock to hit well above .300 with 100 runs, 100 RBI, 30 Home runs, 100 walks and less than 100 strikeouts. 4 Silver Sluggers, 2 MVP’s and a 3rd MVP that was taken away from him due to Jason Giambi who was admittedly juicing. His numbers were among the best of all time and if you take away players that we juicing, he’s top 2 during that time.

I think had Bonds not juiced, even before the amazing years post 98, Bonds would be considered the very best player of the last 3 decades(until Pujols retires) but Bonds screwed himself. And Griffey walks up and takes the top spot. His numbers were amazing until he went to Cincinnati and became an aging injury prone star. He hit over 600 homeruns and over 20 home runs 16 times. 8 seasons of over 100 RBI’s. 6 years of over 100 runs scored. But his numbers don’t do him the justice of having watched him play in person. His 10 Gold Gloves don’t even tell the story of just how good he really was. He made the extraordinary look rather ordinary. He was the quintessential 5 tool player and if he’s not a lock for a first ballot Hall of Fame induction then they should just ban the whole 15 year period of steroid because no one deserves to get in if that’s the case.

Baseball is supposed to be a fun time filled with good cold brews, fresh air, and the view of a beautiful stadium and excited crowd to make you remember why you love baseball so much.

And then the awfulness of the ballpark sets in and it makes you feel like you could be doing anything else but sitting there watching that game. Sometimes baseball stadiums aren’t what you hoped they would be. With the reconstruction and new stadiums popping up all the time stadiums such as the Vet, Shea, and the Hefty Dome in the hell on earth that is Minnesota are exempt because they got smart and got great new stadiums.

Other stadium make you want to throw yourself off the upper deck for a variety of reasons so let’s examine the 5 Worst Stadiums in Baseball.

5. Minute Maid Park(Houston Astros) – This gets a nod and reaches into the pantheon of current stadiums for 2 reasons:
1. It looks gloomy like the kind of stadium where people go on blind dates where they don’t have to see one another.
2. The hill in center field. I’m not sure what complete idiot decided to put a hill in center field but the first time someone tears there ACL we’ll have that douche bag to thank.

4. Wrigley Field(Chicago Cubs) – Let the hate mail begin but since when is this a fun place to watch a game. You’re on top of each other to the point where you might need a blood test after the game. If you’re a guy you have to pee in a trough like caged animal which is only fitting because you sweat like pig in that cramped stadium. The tickets are over priced and their fan base is mostly a bunch of mindless douche bags. The field itself is legendary but you don’t get to play on it. And it was cozy in the 1930’s when it was built but now it is the reason why the Cubs suck and it’s only being used as a reason to destroy local businesses around Wrigley, but it really comes down to the crapiness of the ball park.

3. Sun Life Stadium(Florida Marlins) – Maybe there are a few things that are depressing about this eye sore: it’s cavernous for one. It’s also not meant to have baseball played there. This is what is wrong with the Florida Marlins. People don’t care about baseball there. You can’t buy into it. It’s like if your uncle was born with a goyeter on his neck. Sure you’d tell him he was just as handsome as ever but you’d be lying because that goyeter is scaring children. Half of the residents are spending their summers on South Beach getting felt up by the cast of The Jersey Shore. So then the 5000 rejects end up at Sun Life to watch the Marlins chew payroll. When you are hear all you can think about is the Dolphins. That’s a problem.

2. Rogers Centre(Toronto Blue Jays) – Much like a wooden leg on a hooker, that which was once an attractive novelty is now nothing more than an eyesore and a depressing reminder of what we used to like. Toronto used to like baseball and when they were good and baseball in Canada mattered the romance of the retractable dome and the hotel in center field. Now what was once romantic reminds us of remote controlled drapes and the soft jams of Air Supply. This stadium is sad and depressing.

1. Tropicana Field(Tampa Bay Rays) – Just like that guy in high school who had a name for his Johnson and referred to it in the third person, Tropicana Field also makes you feel sad and wanting to die. This field is so depressing. I thought of visiting it in person but I’d rather not. With all the old people that infiltrate the park I’m likely to start smelling like a combo of pee and goldfish snacks. No wonder the Rays haven’t won a World Series, who can win when the best thing about your stadium is the cat walk because you can jump from it. There is nothing more depressing than this field. If they ever blow it up I’ll be happen to push the button.

The season is coming to a close but there’s still baseball to be played. Now is the time when players have a chance to show that they belong in the bigs or hobble their way into October. Let’s take a look at which players have heated up as the weather’s cooled down and which players have down right stunk. Here are the studs and duds over the past week.

Who’s Hot?

NL Batting
Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies) – .536 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R
Neil Walker (Pirates) – .407 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R
Mark Reynolds (Diamondbacks) – .300 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R
Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) – .471 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 3 SB
Starlin Castro (Cubs) – .500 AVG, 2 RBI, 8 R, 2 SB

AL Batting
Ryan Raburn (Tigers) – .320 AVG, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R
Mark Teixeira (Yankees)- .526 AVG, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R
Curtis Granderson (Yankees) – .346 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R
Paul Konerko (White Sox) – .364 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R
Shin-soo Choo (Indians) – .321 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB

NL Pitching
John Lannan (Nationals) – 2-0, 14.2 IP, 11 K, 1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP
Carlos Zambrano (Cubs) – 2-0, 12.1 IP, 15 K, 1.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Cole Hamels (Phillies) – 2-0, 15 IP, 13 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP
Carlos Marmol (Cubs) – 3 SV, 4.1 IP, 9 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
Josh Johnson (Marlins) – 0-1, 12 IP, 20 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

AL Pitching
Jeremy Guthrie (Orioles) – 2-0, 15.1 IP, 12 K, 1.17 ERA, 0.78 WHIP
Luke French (Mariners) – 2-0, 14 IP, 8 K, 0.64 ERA, 0.57 WHIP
Mariano Rivera (Yankees) – 3 SV, 4 IP, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP
Edwin Jackson (White Sox) – 1-0, 8.2 IP, 11 K, 3.12 ERA, 0.92 WHIP
Gio Gonzalez (Athletics) – 2-0, 12 IP, 10 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

Who’s Not?

NL Batting
Kelly Johnson (Diamondbacks) – 1-20, 8 K, 1 GDP
Raul Ibanez (Phillies) – 4-28, 8 K, 3 GDP
Jose Guillen (Giants) – 2-16, 7 K
Ricky Weeks (Brewers) – 3-23, 9 K
Adam Kennedy (Nationals) – 2-17, 3 K, 2 GDP

AL Batting
Jeff Mathis (Angels) – 0-11, 2 K, 2 GDP
Carlos Pena (Rays) – 2-21, 8 K, 1 GDP
David Ortiz (Red Sox) – 3-24, 9 K
Jason Repko (Twins) – 2-20, 9 K, 1 CS
Bobby Abreu (Angels) – 1-16, 8 K

NL Pitching
Pat Maholm (Pirates) – 0-2, 7.2 IP, 15 ER, 18 H
Bud Norris (Astros) – 0-1, 10.1 IP, 10 ER, 16 H, 6 BB
Scott Olsen (Nationals) – 0-1, 1.2 IP, 9 ER, 8 H
Ryan Dempster (Cubs) – 0-1, 3.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 H
Charlie Morton (Pirates) – 0-1, 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 9 H

AL Pitching
Colby Lewis (Rangers) – 0-2, 9.1 IP, 14 ER, 16 H
Rafael Perez (Indians) – 0-1, 1.1 IP, 5 ER, 8 H
Vin Mazzaro (Athletics) – 0-1, 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 7 H
Marc Rzepczynski (Blue Jays) – 0-1, 9.2 IP, 8 ER, 11 H, 8 BB
Jesse Chavez (Royals) – 0-1, 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 1 BS

The White Sox did the right thing Sunday and honored the greatest hitter in White Sox history Frank Thomas. Frank Thomas was everything the modern superstar was: selfish, controversial, and larger than life. But Thomas was also something else: the best pure hitter of his generation and a first ballot hall of famer. I’ll explain why.

1. He was clean – This is debatable I’m sure but the fact of the matter is there has never been so much as a whisper about Thomas doping. Canseco, who played with the White Sox for a season, and has been responsible for outing so many people in baseball never accused Thomas of using which should speak volumes. Thomas was always a big kid and his numbers never suggested he was juicing. He once went from 24 to 41 homeruns but his RBI’s only went up 13 in that time. His numbers did what they should have done: they leveled out and stayed consistent until old age and injury caught up with him. Playing in the Steroids era is enough to make everyone take a bigger and closer look.

2. 30/100/100/100 – That’s 30 home runs, 100 runs, 100 RBI and 100 walks. Frank Thomas did it 7 times in his career. Ted Williams did it 6 times. 9 times he hit 30 and drove in 100. Mickey Mantle did it twice. Thomas had 10 season where he hit over .300, the same amount of times Willie Mays did it.

3. .419 On Base Percentage – This is remarkable. His on base percentage ranks 21st all time, 20th if you disregard Barry Bonds inflated numbers. He also ranks 18th on the all time home run list but if you take out the players who were juicing, Thomas would rank 12th. He ranks 22nd on the all-time list in RBI but could rank as high as 18 had it not been for juicing. He’s 10th in walks and he ranks 71st on the all time list for runs scored, not a bad place for a slow moving first baseman.

4. Top 50 War – In his career Frank Thomas was worth 75 more wins than your average replacement. That’s good enough for 42nd all time. He’s 39th all time in total bases ahead of Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente. He ranks 24 all time in slugging percentage. And he ranks 15 all time in on-base plus slugging. His career numbers compare to that of Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle, two no doubt about it hall of famers.

5. Forget the Field – There is no need to concern yourself with the fact that Frank didn’t field his position. We measure greatness by awards so is it important the he play the position or play it well. Assuming Manny Ramirez had been clean would his hall candidacy be more legit than Thomas because he was a defensive liability but at least he played? Most guys who can hit are barely asked to play their position. Sure, Gold Gloves help. Junior has 10, Torii Hunter has 9, Maddux has over 12 but when it comes down to it you shouldn’t have to have one to get in. If the DH isn’t a real position than it should be eliminated but you shouldn’t ask someone to do it and then not acknowledge how great they were at it.

So Sweet Lou bids the North Side farewell and what does he have to show for it? In his four years as manager he posted 2 winning seasons. Two playoff appearances. 0 playoff wins. He was named manager of the year. He’ll be remembered for bringing hope and leaving Cubs nation hopeless. He’ll be remembered for a lot but I’ll contend that Lou shouldn’t get the blame for the failures. At least not all of them.

True it was Lou who decided to keep batting Alfonso Soriano leadoff when he clearly wasn’t built for that spot. But the sadder tragedy is the monster contract Hendry signed Soriano to that the Cubs couldn’t get out from.

It wasn’t Lou’s fault that they signed Bradley to a 3 year deal when everyone knew a 1 year deal would have been risky. And it wasn’t Lou who brought in Fukudome to a big contract and then watched him implode and prove to not be the Ichiro they were looking for. The sad fact is that it’s the Cubs management, not their manager, that keeps failing to get them to the that elusive World Series ring.

But we all watched Lou fold toward the end. He seemed lifeless the last couple years a sure sign that he got more than he bargained for at Wrigley. Day baseball only sounds nice when you are watching it from the bleachers. He’ll leave a career that is worthy of consideration for the Hall of Fame but in this editors opinion a little short of Hall Worthy.

But now that Lou’s gone it’s up to Cubs brass to get themselves a manager. They moved Mike Quade to interim manager over the more experienced Alan Trammel. This was to keep away from any confusion that Trammel could be the next Cubs skipper. It doesn’t appear he’s in the running and if he won in the last 37 games, he’d have to be considered.

The last two skippers have been flashy hires. Dusty Baker was high off his tenure in San Fran and Lou was baseball royalty rumored for the Bronx many times over but they both landed in Chicago and were both unceremoniously ushered out. Had Lou not retired he most certainly would have been given his walking papers. Wrigley needed new life and Lou was lifeless.

So maybe Cubs brass is now learning that flash doesn’t make dreams come true, good pitching does. Timely hitting. Team defense. Those things matter more than a manager. But they have to start somewhere. So here’s a look at their prospective candidates and some guys that might be dark horses.

1. Alan Trammel – He appears to be such a dark horse that if he got the job Jim Hendry would be surprised. He’s a good baseball man but his stint with the Tigers didn’t impress anyone.

2. Joe Girardi – He loves Chicago but he’d have to be stupid to take the Cubs job. This job will be there in 10 years. The Yankees job and there 3 or 4 World Series rings that he could own might not. No matter how much the Cubs pay the Yankees just makes more sense. He can do like Lou did and make Chicago the last stop on his retirement tour. New York is about going to the Hall of Fame. The Cubs is about Billy Goats and Ronnie Woo-Woo

3. Ronnie Woo-Woo – Maybe not the best candidate but you know he won’t leave to go anywhere and he can certainly stand the losing. Let’s not close the door on him.

4. Bob Brenley – He appears to want the job. Bob has a ring to back up application but if he goes they will have trouble filling his place in the booth. Who else can talk to Len about music and point out the most obvious things about baseball. “Zambrano is going to have to start getting people out if he wants to stay in that ball game.” “That 900 foot homerun was crushed!” “It’s a shame when someone gets their face blown off by a landmine in centerfield” Ok the last one was made up but you get the point. Brenley could get the nod but it’s not likely.

5. Ron Santo – Would he be any good? No. Would he need Pat Hughes there to remind him how many outs are left or who is available in the bullpen? Yes. But the Cubs keep trying to find ways to honor him so why not give him the job.

6. Jesus – Come on, he saved mankind. I’m pretty sure he can keep Aaramis Ramirez off the DL.

7. Ryne Sandberg – Bingo! We might have a winner here. They say he’s too young but the fact is that Ryno is really popular with the fans and if the new owner Tom Ricketts has taught us anything it’s that he cares about selling first and foremost and Ryne would bring a lot of excitement to the fans…until he starts speaking and then fans will have to light themselves on fire just to stay awake. But he’s exactly what a team that will be rebuilding might need is a guy who is learning on the job as well. It could be a good marriage.