The Giants experiment with Ray Durham batting 3^rd in the lineup has apparently ended.  At .156, his average hardly merits such a lofty status and he is now lower in the order at the six spot.  Still the Giants lineup is in a state of flux with Bonds not hitting his lofty weight (.190 vs perhaps 250 lbs) and others languishing below the ignoble Mendoza line (Pedro Feliz - .173 & Mike Matheney - .195).  The Giants can and will survive without Matheney hitting, but Feliz and Durham must produce.  Bonds will probably not finish the season, and as one talk show host in SF said yesterday, to see him run one must think he will not last

another month!  Once he gets moving, he cannot stop.  He is a liability in the field, a liability that has yet to be significant but at some point, in an important game, it will.  The baseball gods are merciless in that way as they wait for just the right moment to expose Barry as ‘done’ in terms of playing the field.   On the other hand, Steve Finley looks fit and ready to play, which of course was Sabean’s thinking all along when he traded the useless Edgardo Alfonso (.000 batting average, 0 for 9) for Finley.  Give Sabean his kudos on that trade.  All one has to do is stand these two players next to each other; one looks soft and out of shape and the other is taut, and lean with an edge.  

The White Sox have asserted themselves, with Jim Thome having apparently assumed the lofty status he occupied while a member of the Indians, hitting for power and average as well as taking his walks.  Protected by Konerko (.351 with 5hr), who in turn has a resurgent Jermaine Dye hitting behind him, the middle of their order is very powerful.  If Podsednik should ever get in gear (hitting only .204 with a .259 OB%), they will be a truly dangerous team.  Jose Contreras is pitching well, more than

justifying the contract he just signed (2-0, 1.29 ERA). But the Indians ARE in gear, hitting .320 as a team; their youthful enthusiasm and talent shining through.  To think the Expos/Nats gave up Grady Sizemore (.314 BA) and Cliff Lee  (1-1, 2.89 ERA, 18-5 last  year) for Bartolo Colon and a two month, rent-a-player stint.  Victor Martinez is showing everyone why he is possibly the premier catcher in the game today, a switch hitter for both power and average (.305, 21 hr w/101 RBI last year) with above average defensive skills. 

The heralded matchup between the Braves and the Mets just ended.  With Pedro Martinez handily pitching his 200th career victory, never throwing more than 89mph, the Mets were poised to exert themselves and make a statement, not only to the Braves, but to all of baseball.  But they lost the next two games (at Shea) and the fan base must be wondering if this franchise is truly cursed.  It is a long season, and the Mets faithful hope it is not just that…another LONG season of disappointment and dashed dreams. 

With the loathed Kaz Matsui still on the DL, the Mets infield remains one of the most exciting and potent in the league (David Wright 3b, Jose Reyes SS, Carlos Delgado 1b), but they are still searching for someone to play 2b.  Xavier Nady (.373, 4hr)  has been everything they could have hoped for when Omar Minaya unloaded Mike Cameron for this young player.   Left field still remains a question with Cliff Floyd underperforming (.200 BA). 

Oakland is doing what they do best, play streaky baseball much to the exasperation of GM Billy Beane, who figured he had finally put together a solid team from top to bottom.  I still do not understand why manger Ken Macha continues to write in Bobby Crosby’s name in the three hole of the batting order, when a proven hitter like Milton Bradley is batting sixth, and Nick Swisher may be finally coming into his own and exceeding expectations with a .333 BA and six home runs.  One would think Bradley (a switch hitter) backed by Chavez batting 4^th, Frank Thomas and Swisher would prove to be a very potent middle of

the order lineup. Placing Crosby (.209, 1HR, 2RBI) at 7^th in the lineup seems more appropriate at this time and undoubtedly before too long.  If the team keeps losing (8 out of their last 11), Beane will lose his patience and order Macha to make the necessary adjustments.   All of their woes so far are accentuated by Zito’s failures on the mound as well as the early season despair that Joe Blanton seems to be intent upon making a career trademark.   Blanton is talented, but last year he was the worst pitcher in baseball for more than a month and he is beginning to rival those depths with his performance last night (4.1 IP, 10H, 7ER).