Award Time

Best catch all year, bar none, Carlos Gonzalez leaps and face plants on the warning track against the Giants ( on a sure triple hit by Aaron Rowand ) to the deepest part of Pac Bell Park, He slid easily 10 feet, scraping his arms and chin. Saved 2 runs, and the Rockies stopped Linecum, a statement play in a statement game.

Best ejection....This was close, but Jim Leyland edged out Bobby Cox. Leyland's team was getting the backsides clobbered by the A's and a ball ( he was right ) clearly hit Miggy Cabrera, who was beside himself in anger, lifted his jersey to show a red mark he claimed was where the ball hit him. To no avail, the umps feeling upstaged by this striptease, tossed Leyland, who tossed his hat down, and had a spray of spittle going like a lawn sprinkler. As I said, it was close, I saw Cox get into it, with the 1st base ump on what was a close play at first, Cox contended the then 1st baseman Casy Kotchman touched 1st before the ball reached there. The replay shows he was wrong, the ball was there first, but he should have argued that James Loney's foot was a foot off the bag. Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully remarked, " Cox was right and wrong on the same play".

Best double play ...The Texas Rangers were smart enough to decide they would be better served with Micheal Young ( a Gold Glove shortstop moving to 3rd base ) and they were right for a change. Young Elvis Andrus dove for hot grounder and threw out Ichiro, and knew he had no play at 2nd base, but runner Rob Johnson thought that he could go 1st to 3rd. The play at 1st by Chris Davis seemed improbable, and the M's were down by 3 runs, so why not.

Easy reason, So Chris Davis after checking with the umpire to confirm the out at 1st saw Johnson passing Andrus and tossed it wildly to Michael Young who had to leap in the air , come down and tag Johnson out at 3rd. Both infielders made sparkly plays, best DP I have seen all year. 6-3-6 on your scorecards.

Best bench clearing brawl..... Tampa & RedSox in pre season was a doozie, but i will give the honours to Jays Yanks, Brian Burke should scout some of these guys, no hand slapping and hair pulling here. This was rock'em sock'em action. Jessy "the Body" Carlson vs Jorge "the Animal" Posada. Cage match fortcoming. The pre season scrimmage had about 50 - 60 bodies from both sides, it was more of a school yard rumble, hard to make anything out.

Best Baseball Quote ( not by Yogi Berra ) ..... Pete Rose when asked about the Cubs , "God said, don't win until I get back " must have influenced Milton Bradley who when he was benched for lax play said, " Now I know why the Cubs have not won for 100 years ", Never realized that Milton was such a historian.

Real awards come this weekend, but something to wet your whistle for now.