If you believe the current Pedro Martinez rumors, the former All-Star pitcher could soon join the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, Ruben Amaro Jr., the general manager of the Phillies, was recently spotted in the Dominican Republic watching Martinez pitch a simulated game.

Martinez supposedly wants a $5 million prorated for the amount of the season that remains. While the Phillies might bulk at guaranteeing all that money, they may give him a contract full of incentives that could end up lucrative if Martinez plays well.

The 37-year-old Martinez has a possible Hall of Fame resume, however he struggled last year with the New York Mets. In 20 starts, he registered a 5.62 ERA and finished with a record of 5-6.

By signing Martinez, the Phillies would hope that he could provide the pitching depth needed to make a run at back-to-back World Series championships.

It makes sense for the Phillies to sign Martinez around the All-Star break if both teams can agree financially.

Pedro Martinez Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)

Raul Ibanez, who has arguably been the hottest player in all of Major League Baseball to begin the 2009 campaign, has been played on the 15-day disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies. Ibanez has a strained groin that has bothered him for a while.

Raul Ibanez Injury Update (Image: Zuma Press)

On the season, Ibanez is hitting .312 with 22 homers, 59 RBIs and 51 runs. At 37, he’s on pace to have the best season of his big league career.

Ibanez could even miss more than the 15-day minimum. According to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., there’s a chance the Phillies opt to keep him out until he’s near 100%.

After Philadelphia won the 2008 World Series championship, many experts were surprised when they let Pat Burrell walk and signed Ibanez away from the Seattle Mariners. However, now those same experts feel foolish for second-guessing the move.

Ibanez made news recently when he got mad at a blogger from bringing up steroids rumors.

Here is the National League All-Star voting update as of Monday morning. One thing to note is how much respect the players for the Philadelphia Phillies are getting in the balloting. Another thing to note is how Manny Ramirez has dropped out of the running for a starting spot in the outfield.

NL All-Star voting shows a lot of Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)

All-Star voting update for the National League:

First Basemen
1) Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals - 2,158,036
2) Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies - 1,147,227
3) Prince Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers - 926,727
4) Adrian Gonzalez - San Diego Padres - 671,867
5) Lance Berkman - Houston Astros - 391,492

Second Basemen
1) Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies - 2,273,355
2) Orlando Hudson - Los Angeles Dodgers - 904,648
3) Rickie Weeks - Milwaukee Brewers - 707,074
4) Skip Schumaker - St. Louis Cardinals - 496,103
5) Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds - 359,863

Third Basemen
1) David Wright - New York Mets - 1,256,736
2) Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals - 920,780
3) Chipper Jones - Atlanta Braves - 864,017
4) Pedro Feliz - Philadelphia Phillies - 792,123
5) Bill Hall - Milwaukee Brewers - 705,978

Shortstops
1) Jimmy Rollins - Philadelphia Phillies - 1,216,007
2) Hanley Ramirez - Florida Marlins - 1,128,547
3) J.J. Hardy - Milwaukee Brewers - 865,306
4) Jose Reyes - New York Mets - 625,352
5) Miguel Tejada - Houston Astros - 608,367

Catchers
1) Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals - 1,051,485
2) Brian McCann - Atlanta Braves - 895,663
3) Jason Kendall - Milwaukee Brewers - 815,880
4) Carlos Ruiz - Philadelphia Phillies - 809,633
5) Bengie Molina - San Francisco Giants - 793,580

Outfielders
1) Raul Ibanez - Philadelphia Phillies - 1,897,905
2) Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers - 1,667,029
3) Carlos Beltran - New York Mets - 1,367,412
4) Alfonso Soriano - Chicago Cubs - 1,340,699
5) Shane Victorino - Philadelphia Phillies - 1,116,524
6) Manny Ramirez - Los Angeles Dodgers - 999,800
7) Mike Cameron - Milwaukee Brewers - 936,014
8) Jayson Werth - Philadelphia Phillies - 834,910
9) Corey Hart - Milwaukee Brewers - 791,646
10) Rick Ankiel - St. Louis Cardinals - 721,842
11) Ryan Ludwick - St. Louis Cardinals - 697,720
12) Adam Dunn - Washington Nationals - 584,602
13) Matt Kemp - Los Angeles Dodgers - 549,420
14) Andre Ethier - Los Angeles Dodgers - 521,452
15) Kosuke Fukudome - Chicago Cubs - 458,902

After getting a feel for the 2009 baseball season, a few teams are starting to make a run up the standings. Here is a list of the hottest teams in baseball at the moment.

5) Los Angeles Dodgers
Even without Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball at 28-13. A big reason for their success is that Juan Pierre has been able to fill in for Ramirez and the Dodgers haven’t skipped a beat.

4) Detroit Tigers
The Tigers started slowly but they are now turning it around. They have won four straight games and are 12-5 at home on the season. Dontrelle Willis recently had a very good game and if he can return to form, Detroit would be dangerous.

3) Philadelphia Phillies
The reigning World Series champions are starting to get back into a groove. They’ve won five straight games and are now 21-16. Oddly enough, they are 8-12 at home and 13-4 on the road.

2) New York Yankees
The Yankees had three straight games with a walk-off and now with Alex Rodriguez hitting homers once again, New York is looking very good. They’ve won seven straight games and are sitting at 22-17.

1) Milwaukee Brewers
Winners of seven in a row and nine of their last ten, the Brewers are the surprise team in the NL at the moment. That said, it’ll be tough for the Brewers to hold on after they learned that Rickie Weeks is out for the season.

Can the Brewers Stay Hot without Rickie Weeks? (Image: Zuma Press)

Cole Hamels, the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff, left Thursday’s game after getting hit by a liner. Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers hit the ball back up the middle and the ball hit Hamels on his left shoulder. The injury is currently being called a contusion of the left shoulder.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (Image: Newscom)

Hamels, who is left-handed, left the game after being hit. In the 3.1 innings he pitched against the Brewers, Hamels allowed four hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters.

It’s been a difficult start to the season for the 25-year-old. Last year, he played a vital role in bringing a World Series championship to Philadelphia. This season, Hamels has dealt with a few injuries and his first two starts of the season were poor. After three starts, Hamels now has an 0-2 record and an ERA of 9.69.

After the game, which the Phillies ended up losing 6-1 against the Brewers, Hamels said that he doesn’t think he’ll miss his next start.

Here’s the video of Cole Hamels getting hit by the liner.

Baseball has lost one of its legends. Harry Kalas, the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies, was found unresponsive in his broadcast booth prior to a Phillies ballgame versus the Washington Nationals. Kalas was 73 years old.

Harry Kalas, Philadelphia Phillies (Image: Newscom)

Kalas was the voice of the Phillies since 1971. Although he witnessed many losing seasons, it now seems fitting that his last season behind the mic featured a World Series victory by the Phillies.

“We lost our voice today,” said David Montgomery, the president of the Phillies.

Kalas was known for his signature “Outta Here” line for home runs. He also did extensive work with NFL Films.

Prior to joining the Phillies, Kalas was broadcasting baseball games for the Houston Astros. He began his Astros tenure in 1965.

Although Kalas had many gigs throughout his career, he’ll always be remembered as a member of the Phillies.

Said Montgomery: “He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization.”

Prior to their game against the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies celebrated their 2008 World Series championship. However, once the game started, the Phillies quickly were reminded the 2009 Major League Baseball season meant that last year’s magical run was over.

The Braves scored two runs in the top of the first inning off of Phillies starter Brett Myers. In the top of the second, Atlanta added two more runs. All four of the runs were via the home run. Brian McCann hit a two-run dinger, while Jordan Schafer and Jeff Francoeur added solo shots.

Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

However, the best player for the Braves on the day was starting pitcher Derek Lowe. Signed in the offseason, Lowe showed why the Braves gave him big money. Over eight innings, Lowe gave up only two hits and no walks while striking out four batters.

The Phillies were able to score off of Mike Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth but when the final out was recorded, the Braves had a 4-1 victory.

On Sunday, the 2009 Major League Baseball season begins. On opening day, the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies will host the Atlanta Braves. Prior to the game, the Phillies will unveil their championship banner and they will receive their championship rings.

The first pitch of the 2009 baseball season will be thrown by Phillies starter Brett Myers. At that point, the 2009 season will officially be underway.

2009 Baseball Opening Day - Brett Myers, Phillies (Image: Newscom)

The goal for the Phillies this season is simple — to win the World Series once again. However, that is obviously easier said than done. The last team to win back-to-back World Series titles was the New York Yankees, who won the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000. A National League team hasn’t accomplished that feat since the 1970s Cincinnati Reds.

For the Braves, their goals aren’t quite as grand. After finishing last season with a 72-90 record, the Braves will be looking to find their way back to the top of the National League. While many experts expect the Braves to struggle once again in 2009, manager Bobby Cox has a long history of being able to keep his teams in the hunt.

Cole Hamels, the unquestioned ace of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff, won’t pitch the season opener due to an ongoing elbow issue. However, with his elbow improving, the Phillies are hopeful that the 25-year-old Hamels will be ready to pitch within the next two weeks.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (Image: Newscom)

Last season, Hamels was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA as the Phillies won the 2008 World Series championship. The left-hander was 4-0 in the playoffs with a 1.80 ERA. In 35 postseason innings, Hamels had 30 strikeouts while only giving up 23 hits.

In the middle of March, the Phillies opted to give Hamels an anti-inflammatory shot in an attempt to reduce the swelling in and around his elbow. Over the last week, he has started to show improvement. Earlier in the spring, his fastball was in the low 80s. In a recent start, his fastball nearly hit 90 on the radar gun.

For the Phillies to win another World Series title in 2009, they will definitely need Hamels healthy and carrying the load down the stretch of the season. Although they have a number of good bats, Hamels is the team’s only elite starting pitcher.

With spring training in full bloom and the regular season a few weeks away, here’s a look at the top five best teams in Major League Baseball. With only one National League team making the list, it’s safe to say that the American League will be a dog fight in 2009.

Alex Rodriguez - Image: Newscom

1. New York Yankees
The Yankees didn’t make the playoffs in 2008 but after a hugely successful offseason, the Yankees have leapfrogged over the entire league to become the favorites in 2009. As long as Alex Rodriguez eventually returns to near 100% health, the Yankees will undoubtedly make the playoffs this year.

2. Boston Red Sox
Though the Red Sox didn’t make the big splash in free agency that the Yankees made, they had a number of quality moves to help improve their roster. With no more Manny Ramirez to cause drama, this team has a great combination of talent and chemistry.

3. Philadelphia Phillies
The reigning World Series champions are the team to beat in the National League. The bats appear ready to have a big year. The question mark for the Phillies is whether or not their pitching can keep up and perform at least as well as they did last season.

4. Tampa Bay Rays
Can Cinderella strike again? The Rays are definitely talented but they still have a lot to prove. Over the last few decades, there have been a number of teams that had one fluke season before returning to mediocrity. Will the Rays be the next example?

5. Los Angeles Angels
Last season, the Angels had the best record in baseball. However, they flamed out early in the playoffs. This season, they have the pieces to once again be dominant in the regular season. That said, they will need to prove they have the clutch players who can thrive in the postseason.