Looks like my top-picked Dodgers are falling apart left and right. The Boston Globe reported today that Dodgers closer Eric Gagne will have surgery on his pitching elbow to remove a nerve. A huge part of the reason the Dodgers performed so poorly last year was that Gagne was hurt for most of the season, and if that's also the case for '06, then I'd say that along with the injury to Nomar Garciaparra's ribcage, which landed him on the fifteen day disabled list on tuesday, will severely hurt Los Angeles' chances this season. The Dodgers currently have five players on the DL, and Wednesday saw a game in which two players had to leave the game with minor injuries and three other players came dangerously close to having to leave the game. Clearly something is working against this team and their hopes at a division title.

Meanwhile, the hitting streak of Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins ended yesterday in Philliadelphia's third straight loss to the Cardinals. I'm a little upset about this because I was just working on a column about whether Rollins' historic streak was a more important story to baseball than the steroid scandal plaguing the big leagues.

People in San Fransisco are too nice. Despite Barry Bonds' tarnished image and the apparent hatred of road fans, the patrons at AT&T Park on Thursday gave him a standing ovation when he was introduced. Don't they realize that he's been duping them for like five years now? I certainly wouldn't be too quick to cheer for a man that has lied to us between his teeth and helped support an era that will forever leave a cloud over the game.

After getting beaned three times in three game series between the Mets and the Nationals, Washington outfielder Jose Guillen had enough, charging the mound and causing the dugouts to clear. Poor Guillen was so shaken by the number of times he's been hit by Pedro Martinez that he says the former friends' relationship is over. C'mon man! Grow some junk will you? If you're going to crowd the plate, then you have no place blaming a pitcher when you're beaned by an inside pitch. Pedro has always been known for commanding the interior of the plate, and considering the fact that he'd hit you three times before Thursdays game, one might think you'd make an adjustment at the plate so as not to get hit.