CC Sabathia, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, is off to an absolutely dreadful start to the season. On Wednesday, he allowed nine earned runs for the second consecutive start. His ERA now sits at 13.50.
Last season, Sabathia was lights out. He was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA as he dominated in his best season to date. He was particularly dominant after the All-Star Game, posting a 2.76 ERA in 15 starts.
Is it time to worry about Sabathia?
Well, first before we worry, we should try to figure out what is wrong with him. The first thing everyone thinks of …read more

Ah, Opening Day. I hope you had as much fun as we did (full report at Ducksnorts). Beyond the thrill of a packed house at Petco Park watching Jake Peavy spin a shutout, here are a few items from Monday that caught my eye:

The Mets beat the Marlins, 7-2. The planet’s best pitcher against a Triple-A squad — who could’ve have anticipated such a result? Uh, everyone.
The Pittsburgh/Atlanta game was insane. The Pirates took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but the Braves tied. Then the Bucs jumped ahead in the 12th, 12-9, before allowing two runs …read more

I’m not a fan of the designated hitter rule. Either you’re out there playing or you’re not. That means if you’re a pitcher, you’re taking your turn at bat. Conversely, if you’re in the lineup, you’re taking the field.
The other thing that bugs me about the DH is this: Why does he have to hit for the pitcher? I’m pretty sure that the Minnesota Twins, for example, would be better off hitting for Nick Punto when Livan Hernandez is on the mound.
Just sayin’…
{democracy:41}

The Minnesota Twins have inked veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez to a 1-year deal worth $5 million plus incentives that could kick the total value up to $7 million.
This is a great pickup by the Twins. Hernandez is 33 years old and has made 30 or more starts in each of the past 10 seasons. He isn’t likely to be more than a league-average starter, but he probably won’t be much less either. There’s value in running a guy out to the mound every fifth day who generally will keep you in the game. Just ask Carlos Silva, a similar pitcher …read more