I’ve been posing down the pub
On seeing my reflection
I’m looking slightly rough

There's a great matchup tonight between Jon Lieber and Curt Schilling starting at 7:30PM. Frequent Batter's Box poster Rob informs us that Mike Wilner will him Frankie Cat on his show starting at 7:00PM. A webcast is available at the Fan 590 website.

watchin' 6 years
slipping through my picket gate.
Like some wounded dog escapin'
through the hole in the kennel fence
The water's boiling, poached eggs waiting
The toast I notice - still on the plate
The queen of diamonds
lying face down
---
Today We Have a Contest!

P. Martinez seeks redemption as the Bosox face the Yankees and Mike Mussina in Game 5 of the Series this afternoon. Boston trails in the series 3 games to one. Tonight the Cards and Astros play Game 5 of their series, with Woody Williams and Brandon Backe starting. The series is tied at 2 games each.

Congratulations to Jason and to John Northey who have won the prizes in our Batter's Box Personal Stories Of Brushes With Third-Rate Celebrity Contest.

Another doubleheader today:

4:00PM - Marquis vs. Oswalt - Cardinals Lead Series 2-1
8:00PM - Hernandez vs. Lowe - Yankees Lead Series 3-0

I like watchin' the puddles gather rain
And all I can do is just pour some tea for two
and speak my point of view
But it's not sane, It's not sane

A couple of games today:

Cardinals vs. Astros - Suppan vs. Clemens - 4:05 PM EST
Yankees vs. Red Sox - Brown vs. Arroyo - 7:35PM EST

Cards and Yanks each up 2-0.

Let's face it ... none of us are MLB GMs, and there's a reason for that. As fans, we spot a young player who is absolutely, positively bound for stardom, the Hall of Fame, even, and for some reason, he ends up spending more time in Syracuse or Toledo than Cooperstown.

Come to think of it, that happens to the pros, too. Sparky Anderson once proclaimed Kirk Gibson was "the next Mickey Mantle" and while KG was pretty good, he was no #7. The Main Spark also once famously guaranteed stardom for a third baseman named Chris Pittaro, who managed to hit .221 in 95 big league at-bats, spending more time with the Twins than Sparky's Tigers after not being able to hold off the immortal Tom Brookens for the starting third base slot on the defending champion 1985 Tigers.

Some dirt on the 2004 draft class...

As Scott pointed out on one of yesterday's threads, Baseball America is reporting that the Tigers have decided to end their pursuit of #2 overall pick Justin Verlander.

Loaded the guns then you run off home for your tea
Left me standing, like a naughty schoolboy.

Boston you're my home. It's raining in Beantown, and the Red Sox might be planning a Bull Durham sprinkler scene if it wasn't. Game 3 goes tonight at 8 p.m., weather permitting, with Bronson Arroyo facing Kevin Brown.

Ppd.-rain, the weather did not in fact permit.

You said to call you up if I was feeling moody
Hey little Donna, still wanna
You said to ring you up if I was in Toronto

Carlos Beltran is good.

Time for a quick update on the Arizona Fall League and the Peoria Saguaros, managed by AAA Syracuse skipper Marty Pevey and home to six Jays prospects of varying degrees of interest. The Saguaros sit last in the three-team American Divison with a 2-4 record; they beat previously undefeated Phoenix 14-7 yesterday, a memorable game for Jays hitters -- for the pitchers, meeeh, not so much.