A VERY TELLING WEEK

***YANKS VS THE TIGERS IN DETROIT***
Everyone talks about the Tigers hitting, and it is good with Cabrera and Fielder anchoring a formidible lineup, but their pitching isn't bad either. Verlander, Porcello, Sanchez and Scherzer have a combined 30-10 record with only Sanchez, at 1-1, an unknown.  The Yanks will have to hit, because the pitching staff's ability to shut teams down is sporadic at best.  A split on the road would be okay with me.
Joba Chamberlain is back...I think. After hearing about him throwing pitches in the 97-100 mph range in the minors, 93 mph was the best he could do in his first appearance in New York. Either he was very, very nervous or they have a defective radar gun in the minors.

***AROUND THE LEAGUE***
## AJ Burnett is now 14-3 with a 3.19 ERA for the Pirates.  The talent was always there, but he was far too inconsistent in pinstripes. I remember a line from 'The Devil's Advocate," when Al Pacino (the Devil) said to the hot-shot lawyer, Keanu Reeves, "Do you have the ability to summon that talent at will?" AJ didn't in New York, but best of luck to him in Pittsburgh.

## When Texas acquired Ryan Dempster from the Cubs, they moved Roy Oswalt into the bullpen. He had a 5.82 ERA and allowed 83 baserunners in 39 innings, better than 2 an inning. Not so good. When manager Ron Washington brought him in to relieve his starter, Oswalt performed very well for two innings. When Washington sent him out for a third inning, Oswalt refused, saying, "He'd had enough." Oh, that attiude will endear you to managers the world over.

## The all-time DL resident, Nick Johnson, is through for the season. After appearing in 38 games for the Baltimore Orioles this year, he was put on the DL because of a wrist injury. He left rehab this week and returned to his home in California when his wrist did not respond to treatment in a timely manner.  Too bad. He's a good hitter and a decent fielder, but he can't stay on the field. He's played in only 62 games since 2009.

## It's not baseball, but...   Before Lindsay Lohan would perform a nude scene in her latest picture, the whole film crew was forced ro strip down, too. What was the crew worried about? No one was going to be looking at them.

...and as promised -->
***BOBBY'S MOUTH***
Here is the lastest verbal gaffe by Valentine. When asked about Jacoby Ellsworth's recent injury, Bobby replied, "It's a leg issue, but it's not an issue. But it could become an issue."  Thanks for clearing that up, Bobby.

## Word comes from the London Olympics that the Koreans have entered a blind archer into the competition. There is no word on how he did, since no one would attend the event, including the officials.

***THEY SAID IT***
"‪Canadian Olympic equestrian Hawley Bennett-Awad‬ was thrown from the saddle, but she is reportedly in stable condition. And so is her horse."  -- RJ Currie
"The first gold medal of the 2012 Olympics was won by a South Korean archer who is legally blind. This is inspirational. It used to be that when you saw someone legally blind on an athletic field this time of year, he was umpiring an American League game."  -- Brad Dickson
Headline at SportsPickle.com: "Nittany Lion mascot transfers to Toledo."
"Just wondering. Shouldn't Kansas running back Brandon Bourbon be playing for Kentucky?"  -- Dwight Perry
"Four SMU football players claimed they were ripped off by a prostitue. Yes siree, its's beginning to feel like the  college football season."  -- Brad Dickson
"The U.S. men's basketball team beat Nigeria 156-73: "Somewhere, the Washington Generals are saying, 'We could have beat that spread, why aren't we at the Olympics?'"  -- TC Chong
"Twins outfielder Ben Revere credits a simple adjustment — holding his hands higher — for him going off on a recent hitting tear. Well, that and the fact he heard the Red Sox were coming."  -- Dwight Perry
"The Chicago Cubs, who were swept this weekend by the Los Angeles Dodgers, blew multiple leads in losing today,  giving up runs in four of the last five innings. Are the Cubs trying to be the official baseball team of Olympic badminton?"  -- Janice Hough

CP-