Today the Detroit Tigers re-activated pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the 15-Day Disabled List and at the same time placed Clay Rapada on the 15 Day DL with biceps tendinitis. And not so fast if you think Willis is returning to the Tigers rotation.

He'll pitch in relief whilst the Tigers work on his pitching, which has been erratic to say the least. Here's what Manager Jim Leyland had to say about the situation.

“We'll pick our spots to get him work and try to move him along
forward,” Leyland said. “He's got a great approach, great attitude
about it. He's ready to go.”

One would think that if/when he works out his issues that he'll return to the rotation. But for now look for the D-Train to work out of the bullpen.

Where I'm from, which is the Midwest, it isn't polite to walk into a room (virtual or otherwise) and just start making pronouncements and generally spouting off. Instead, it's better to first let people know who you are and where you are coming from. Given that, let me use this, my first article, to introduce myself.

When the sun is up, I work with my brother at Efficion Consulting, helping small and mid-sized organizations build ecommerce web sites that are affordable, flexible, and easy to use. In addition, I have just finished a book called Elevator Pitch Essentials that explains how to create an effective Elevator Pitch and also write about — and consult with companies interested in understanding — the relationship between pain, change, and innovation.

When the sun sets, I am magically transformed into a pitching and hitting analyst and instructor. I am based in St. Louis, Missouri and work with clients ranging in age from kindergarteners through minor leaguers, teaching them proper pitching mechanics and rotational hitting.

My work on pitching mechanics and injury prevention is followed by scouts and others from at least two major league baseball teams. I also do some consulting related to the Major League draft, and my clients want to see if I can help them identify pitchers who are more, or less, prone to experiencing pitching-related injuries.

The people I am working with do not want me to disclose who I am working with both so that they can have an edge over the competition and in case I turn out to be crazy.

I got (back) into the world of baseball when my now 12 year-old son started pitching for his baseball teams and I became his pitching coach and, by default, the pitching coach for his teammates. In the first game of the season, I brought in a relief pitcher — who I call “G-Man” — who threw two nice, hitless innings. G-Man didn't throw very hard, but he seemed to be able to drop the ball on top of the plate and cause hitters to swing over the top of the ball. As a result, before the next game I asked G-Man if he wanted to be the starting pitcher. He told me that he wasn't sure if he should, because the inside of his elbow was killing him.

I didn't know much about pitching injuries at the time, but I was very careful with my pitchers because my baseball career never progressed beyond grade school due to shoulder problems. As a result, I told G-Man's dad that I was going to shut him down while I tried to figure out what was going on with his elbow. After admittedly going a little crazy, reading literally every journal article that I could find on pitching injuries, and studying the work of people like Dr. Mike Marshall, I came to understand that the root cause of G-Man's problem was that he was inadvertently supinating his forearm through the release point and throwing a slider as a result. That created the sharp vertical break on his pitches, but also put a tremendous load on the inside of his elbow (e.g. the Medial Epicondyle). I taught G-Man how to pronate all of his pitches and his elbow problems disappeared as fast as they appeared.

This experience, and my own shoulder problems, opened my eyes to the possibility that a relationship existed between pitching mechanics and injury problems. As a result, I decided to start analyzing the pitching mechanics of major league pitchers, looking for patterns of differences that might explain their different fates.

I knew from my experience troubleshooting large computer systems that the easiest way to see a difference pattern is to compare things at the extremes, so I decided to compare two groups of pitchers. The first group was pitchers like Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan, and Roger Clemens, who have had long, relatively injury-free careers. The second group was pitchers like Mark Prior, Chris Carpenter, and BJ Ryan, who have had, short, injury-plagued careers.

As soon as I did this, I began to notice differences in the arm actions and timing of these two groups of pitchers. It turns out that the pitching mechanics of long-lived pitchers like Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan, and Roger Clemens are distinctly different from the pitching mechanics of injury-plagued pitchers like Mark Prior, Chris Carpenter, and BJ Ryan. I think those patterns of difference in their pitching mechanics, which I describe using terms like the Inverted L and Inverted W, go a long way toward explain their different fates.

It is my hope that with my columns and blog posts I will open your eyes to the possibility that there is logical reason why some pitchers are injured while some aren't and convince you that pitching and other coaches can and should do something to fix this problem. I also hope that I will improve the game of those of you who are still actively pitching and hitting by giving you some pointers on how to pitch and hit.

A day after speculation swirled that 2008 could be Pedro Martinez's last year in baseball, the Mets hurler has returned to the Dominican Republic to be with his ailing father.

Martinez, scheduled to test his injured hamstring, instead returned home after receiving an e-mail that his father, Pablo Jaime, experienced a medical setback.  The 78-year-old Jaime is battling brain cancer.

On the disabled list since April 2, the Mets were optimistic that Martinez would be ready to return from his hamstring injury for their series with the Dodgers at the end of the month.  There is no timetable set for how long Martinez's trip home will last.

After seeing a hand specialist on Wednesday, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar was placed on the 15-day disabled list.  Aybar dislocated his pinkie on Tuesday diving for a ball.  The trip to the disabled list will end Aybar's streak of 39 consecutive games at shortstop.

To replace Aybar, the Angels have activated Chone Figgins who just completed his stint on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. 

As per usual, it is time to get ready for my weekly segment on ESPN 1450’s Mike Gill Show. Today we toss around the following…

• Mike Piazza just hung them up, where do you rank him as a catcher all-time–is he a first ballot guy?
• Is A-Rods return enough to get the Yanks out of last place?
• There has been some talk that Roger Clemens is still not retired. In fact, Drayton McLane had said he would consider him if he wanted to play and that if he was retired 100% that he would have said so–do you think Rocket plays again?
• The Padres, Yankees, Tigers, Rockies and Mariners all were teams that were mentioned as postseason possibilities–which has the best chance to make it and which teams are done?
• The legendary and not entirely useful John Brattain Power Rankings

Mike Piazza just hung them up, where do you rank him as a catcher all-time–is he a first ballot guy?

He certainly is the greatest hitting catcher in history by a good margin and that of itself is first ballot worthy.

RK                   RCAA      OPS+      HR*1    Mike Piazza     445       142      3992    Bill Dickey     339       127      2023    Yogi Berra      312       125      3364    Mickey Cochrane 303       128      1195    Gabby Hartnett  254       126      2366    Johnny Bench    247       126      3567    Ted Simmons     217       117      2228    Carlton Fisk    216       117      366

*strictly as a backstop

Of course, catcher is a defense-first position hence what he does with the glove has a great deal of importance as well. If I had to rank the top five catchers in history I would rank them as follows…

5. Bill Dickey
4. Mike Piazza
3. Carlton Fisk
2. Johnny Bench
1. Yogi Berra

Is A-Rods return enough to get the Yanks out of last place?

On May 29 of last season the Yanks were 21-29. As a club they were batting .273/.350/.429 with a 4.61 ERA. In 2005, they opened the season 11-19 while hitting .268/.346/.418 with a 5.10 ERA. In 2007 they won 94 games and in 2005 they finished with 95 in the win column.

So far in 2008 they’re batting .254/.321/.405 with a 4.47 ERA and aren’t in nearly as bad a shape (20-25) as they were in those other two seasons. When you consider that without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada the Yankees went 6-10–and that’s hardly a season breaker. Now A-Rod is back–not only that, the once dead and buried Jason Giambi is starting to heat up hitting .269/.414/.597 with six home runs over his last 22 games. Second baseman Robbie Cano (.200/.251/.306 ) was hitting .249/.284/.365 as late as May 29 in 2007 only to heat up to the tune of .332/.383/.542 over the rest of the season. I expect that the Yankee offense is due to get hot very shortly.

The real problem with the Yankees thus far is their starting pitching whose 5.06 ERA is second worst in the American League just ahead of the Detroit Tigers. Most of that however is due to the back end of the rotation as their 1-2-3 starters Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina have an aggregate ERA of 3.97. The bullpen is anchored by closer Mariano Rivera and setup man Joba Chamberlain and not a concern at this point in time.

Simply put, we’ve been here before and we know how this ends. Do not forget that this is the last year the Bronx Bombers will play in The House That Ruth Built and there is no way that the Steinbrenner family won’t do whatever it takes to make sure that the curtain rings down on the old ballyard in fitting fashion. The starting pitching will be shored up and the only glaring need the lineup will face barring more injury is the offense behind the plate. I can almost guarantee that the way the team looks right now will not be the one we’ll see come the season’s final month.

I’ll believe the Yankees are finished when I see George Steinbrenner dead on the pitcher’s mound of Yankee Stadium with a stake driven through his heart.

There has been some talk that Roger Clemens is still not retired. In fact, Drayton McLane had said he would consider him if he wanted to play and that if he was retired 100% that he would have said so–do you think Rocket plays again?

I’m saying no and here’s why–as you’ve heard me scream long loud and repeatedly that MLB is colluding against Barry Bonds; well, if Clemens is signed then it really becomes difficult to explain why Bonds is unemployed. Let’s face it–in a lot of ways Barry Bonds looks like a saint compared to Roger Clemens. After all, some sources have said that the real reason A-Rod fainted at his daughter’s birth was due to Clemens being outside the delivery room with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates asking if she’s ready to go.

(That was hyperbole so you can save your fingers a few keystrokes and not write that hate-mail message) 

I’m guessing that most owners know the commissioner’s wishes about the negative P.R. that could follow a Clemens signing. After all, the Rocketman’s exclusion from the Olympic team had Selig’s fingerprints all over it. I wouldn’t put it past him to be using Clemens as “collusion insurance” in that he could point to Roger as proof that clubs were simply concerned about bad P.R. and that’s why they steered clear of both men.

A lot of team’s post season hopes could be bolstered by signing Barry Bonds so I can’t see Selig giving a rip whether avoiding Clemens could deep-six the Astros playoff hopes. 

The Padres, Yankees, Tigers, Rockies and Mariners all were teams that were mentioned as postseason possibilities–which has the best chance to make it and which teams are done?

The Yankees and Tigers are alive and well (see yesterday’s “Tigger talk…” post to read why I think the Tabbies will be fine)–it’s time to break out the sour cream and chives for the Rockies, Padres and Mariners because they’re done and the fork has been inserted.

The legendary and not entirely useful John Brattain Power Rankings

5. Chicago White Sox
4. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Boston Red Sox
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
1. Chicago Cubs

Best Regards

John

Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost is upset over reports of his imminent dismissal, which to this point have proven untrue. The larger story here involves why “traditional” media might be concerned about blogs and the like.

From what I can tell (and it's difficult to discern, because I get the impression that a lot is being left out), an unnamed blog ran an item on Monday suggesting that Yost would be fired. Other media outlets then picked up on the story and reported it as fact.

Quoth Yost, addressing beat reporters:

The blogs and the radio talk-show guys, it's fun, but they don't
have all the information. To sit back and criticize or talk about
certain situations when they don't have all the information, that's why
it gets hard to sit back and listen or give it much credibility. That
somebody doing a blog can start a frenzy over nothing is a joke. I
expected more out of those people [who responded to the blog] than what
I got. I'll know better next time. …

There's no legitimacy there at all, but we put it on the Internet for
everybody to see and raise havoc over. It's not fair and it's not
right, and you [beat reporters] want to have a working relationship?
You start pulling cheap [stuff] like that?

Believe it or not, I actually empathize with Yost. It must be confusing as all heck to learn that the “pros” have cited pajama-wearing, basement-dwelling blogger types. Especially after Bob Costas assured the world that professional journalists didn't do such things:

But it's one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother’s
basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they're a
pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can
piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional
accountability and they can be comment No. 17 on Dan Le Batard's column
or Bernie Miklasz' column in St. Louis.

[This was taken from a Miami Herald article that has since been removed from the paper's web site; relevant quote available at Baseball Think Factory.]

In Yost's situation, it seems the tables have been turned: Someone who actually has some level of professional accountability has piggybacked onto a pathetic get-a-life loser. Why? Well, that's a matter for debate. The important point is that this incident raises questions about the meaning of “professional accountability.”

I deal with these questions every day, and I find them confusing enough. I can't even imagine what's going on in the head of Yost, who is too busy running a big-league baseball club to be concerned with such nonsense.

Bottom line (and if you're reading this, I'm probably preaching to the choir): Some people do a good job of reporting, others not so much. Some are called reporters, others are called bloggers.

It's getting harder to tell which is which, isn't it?

Mike Piazza retires with the following batting line:  .308/.377/.545, 2127 hits,

344 doubles, 8 triples, 427 home runs, 1335 RBIs and a 142 OPS+

(benlei/flickr)

Boston    

Hideki Okajima - Missed 1 game (left wrist injury).
Julian Tavarez - Outrighted to Pawtucket (AAA).
Chris Smith - Optioned to Pawtucket (AAA).
Justin Masterson - Recalled from Portland (AA).
    
Cleveland

Jason Tyner - Outrighted to Buffalo (AAA).
    
Los Angeles Dodgers    

Jason Schmidt - Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (right shoulder surgery).
Danny Ardoin - Contract purchased from Las Vegas (AAA).
Gary Bennett - Foot injury, 15-day DL.
    
NY Yankees    

Chris Britton - Optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA).
Alex Rodriguez - Missed 17 games (quadricep injury).
   
Oakland    

Andrew Brown - Appendectomy, 15-day DL (retroactive to May 14th).
Lenny DiNardo - Recalled from Sacramento (AAA).
Mike Piazza - Announced his retirement.
    
San Diego    

Joe Thatcher - Recalled from Portland (AAA).
Jake Peavy - Right elbow injury, 15-day DL (retroactive to May 15th).
    
Washington    

Chris Schroder - Recalled from Columbus (AAA).

It looks as if Rays lefthander and top 2007 draft pick David Price will make his professional debut in Vero Beach on Thursday.

Red Sox prospect Justin Masterson was promoted from AA Portland to AAA Pawtucket following his strong start in Boston on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Cleveland reliever Joe Borowski begins a rehab assignment in Akron and Houston pitcher Wandy Rodriguez makes a rehab start in Corpus Christi on Thursday.

• Mark Teixeira went 3-for-3 with a walk, and Tom Glavine allowed just one run on 3 hits in 6 innings as the Braves took game one of their doubleheader against the Mets, 6-1. Brian McCann had 2 hits, a home run, and 3 RBI for Atlanta.
• In game 2, Jorge Campillo pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 7 to lead the Braves to a 6-2 win over the Mets and a sweep of the doubleheader.
• Adam Jones went 4-for-4 with a double and 4 RBI, and Daniel Cabrera pitched 7 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs, as the Orioles clobbered the Yankees, 12-2.
• Manny Parra struck out 6 over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and Mike Cameron went 3-for4 with a home run and 2 RBI as the Brewers beat the Pirates, 7-2. Jason Bay hit a home run for Pittsburgh, his 10th of the year.
• John Lackey gave up one run over 7 innings, and Gary Mathews Jr. and Torii Hunter each reached base and scored as the Angels knocked off the Blue Jays, 3-1. Marco Scutaro had 2 hits and 2 walks for Toronto.
• Cole Hamels struck out 11 while allowing just 4 hits in 7 innings, and Greg Dobbs drove in the game's only run as the Phillies edged the Nationals, 1-0. Jason Bergmann tossed 7 scoreless innings for Washington.
• Joe Mauer had 3 hits, and Alexi Casilla and Mike Lamb each collected 2 hits and 2 RBI as the Twins cruised to an 11-4 win over the Rangers.
• Aaron Rowand had 2 hits and 2 RBI, Benjie Molina added 3 hits, and Rich Aurilia went 3-for-4 with a home run as the Giants nipped the Rockies, 6-5. Todd Helton walked 3 times and picked up 2 hits for Colorado.
• Scott Kazmir threw 7 strong innings, allowing just one run on 4 hits, and Dioner Navarro smacked a 3-run double in the 8th inning to help the Rays come from behind and beat the A's, 3-2. Greg Smith gave Oakland another strong outing, yielding just 2 runs in 7 innings of work.
• Rookie Justin Masterson provided Boston with another quality start, and 4 different relievers combined to slam the door and lead the Red Sox past the Royals, 2-1. Gil Meche went 7 strong innings, but the Kansas City offense failed to muster much of an attack for the second straight day.
• Edgar Renteria went 4-for-5 with a triple, home run, and 5 RBI, and Placido Polanco and Miguel Cabrera added 3 hits apiece as the Tigers slugged out a 12-8 win over the Mariners. Curtis Granderson doubled, homered, and drove in 3, and Justin Verlander tossed 6 solid innings for Detroit. Ichiro Suzuki had 3 hits, and Adrian Beltre singled, homered, and drove in 3 runs for Seattle.
• Dan Uggla doubled, homered, and scored twice, and Mark Hendrickson struck out 7 through 5 innings of 4-hit ball as the Marlins outlasted the Diamondbacks, 3-2. Orlando Hudson reached base 3 times, and Micah Owings struck out 10 in a losing cause for Arizona.
• Hunter Pence went 3-for-4 with a double and a grand slam to provide the Astros with all the offense they would need to beat the Cubs, 4-2. Derrek Lee had 3 hits, and Aramis Ramirez had 2 hits, a home run, and 2 RBI for Chicago.
• Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome went deep off C.C. Sabathia, and Jose Contreras allowed just one run in 6 innings on the mound as the White Sox won their 6th game in a row by defeating the Indians, 4-1.
• Kevin Kouzmanoff blasted a 3-run home run, and the San Diego bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings in relief of Greg Maddux to help the Padres defeat the Cardinals, 3-2.
• Chad Billingsley threw 7 shutout innings, and the Dodgers offense pieced together 4 runs on 9 singles to knock off the Reds, 4-1.

Tuesday's Scoreboard