| | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | OPS |
| Tejada | 100 | 19 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 6 | .950 |
| Scott | 77 | 7 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 10 | .866 |
| | G | IP | W | L | K | ERA | WHIP |
| Albers | 9 | 16.1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1.65 | 0.980 |
| Sarfate | 11 | 10.2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5.06 | 1.312 |
If we multiply Tejada's numbers by 6 (figuring on the durable shortstop to get 600 at bats) he's on pace for a classic season. Albers had a rough 9th inning trying to close out the first game of a doubleheader in Chicago on Saturday. He managed to turn a 5-0 lead into a save situation for George Sherrill. Sarfate had a pretty good week, shaving almost a full point off of his ERA. He has 13 K's in 10 2/3 innings. Thats a nice number. He also has 7 Walks in 10 2/3 innings. Not a nice number.
--April is almost over. The young season has already provided a number of compelling story lines. The Tigers' horrible start, the suddenly talented Tampa Bay Rays, and feelings of hope among Cubs fans probably top the list of April surprises. There are hitters off to hot starts (Chipper Jones and Chase Utley) and others still in hibernation (Ryan Howard and Troy Tulowitzki).
April has been particularly memorable/forgettable for alot of relief pitchers. Mariano Rivera and Jonathon Papelbon are up to their usual tricks. But, a number of normally reliable closers and set-up men have been stinking up ballparks for the first month of the season.
Some stats to show where I’m headed with this:
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | HR | SO | SV% |
| J. Walker (07) | 81 | 61.1 | 3.23 | 1.207 | 17 | 6 | 41 | 7/13 |
| J. Walker (08) | 12 | 7.2 | 5.87 | 1.435 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0/3 |
| M. Corpas (07) | 78 | 78.0 | 2.08 | 1.064 | 20 | 6 | 58 | 19/22 |
| M. Corpas (08) | 13 | 14.1 | 6.91 | 1.744 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 4/8 |
| T. Hoffman (07) | 61 | 57.1 | 2.98 | 1.116 | 15 | 2 | 44 | 42/49 |
| T. Hoffman (08) | 9 | 8.2 | 7.27 | 1.615 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 4/6 |
| J. Valverde (07) | 65 | 64.1 | 2.66 | 1.119 | 26 | 7 | 78 | 47/54 |
| J. Valverde (08) | 11 | 12.0 | 7.50 | 1.917 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 4/7 |
| A. Heilman (07) | 81 | 86.0 | 3.03 | 1.070 | 20 | 8 | 63 | 1/6 |
| A. Heilman (08) | 14 | 14.0 | 6.43 | 1.714 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 0/1 |
Jamie Walker, left-handed set-up man extraordinaire of the Baltimore Orioles, has surrendered 3 game-tying homeruns already this month to left-handed hitters. He only allowed 6 total homeruns in 2007.
Manny Corpas has lost his closers job in Colorado to Brian Fuentes, the pitcher from whom Corpas wrested the job last summer. Now what?
Is Trevor Hoffman done? Was that blown save in the 1-game playoff against Colorado a sign from the sporting gods that Hoffman's time had come?
Jose Valverde is allowing just a sliver under 2 runners on base per inning. If he keeps that up, Valverde won't be saving very many games for the Astros. The Diamondbacks (18-7 with a 6 game lead already in the West) don't seem to be missing their portly former closer all that badly.
By the end of next month, some or all of the above relievers statistics may have begun to look more impressive. The law of averages may work its magic. But, still, its cause for a doubletake when one sees such crooked numbers from normally reliable relief pitchers.
Misc. Notes this week:
-- Reed Johnson has my vote for Play of the Month for April. His incredible diving catch sliding into the wall against the Nationals on Friday may very well end up as the finest catch of the season. Despite Johnson's defense and Carlos Zambrano's pitching the Cubs dropped 2 of 3 this weekend to Washington. Thats no cause for alarm for the Cubbies, but, could winning the weekend series possibly mean that the Nationals putrid April will not turn into a 100 loss season? Maybe there are signs of life in the new ballpark on the scenic Anacostia River.
-- Theres a sign outside of AT&T Park in San Francisco which features a picture of Barry Zito and the slogan "Throws left until theres nothin' left. Barry is a Gamer!" It it looking more and more like there is nothing left in the tank for Zito. Gamer or not, he's a very expensive total bust in San Francisco.
-- I would like to thank the 750 players on major league rosters for a great month of April. The unfortunate episodes of this past offseason have been effectively removed from headlines. Bill Veeck once said "Baseball must be a great game because the owners haven't been able to kill it." That statement can easily expand to "Baseball must be a great game because the owners, the players, the union, strikes, scandals, rule changes, umpires, and annoying commentators and pundits combined still have not been able to kill it!"
Heres to 6 more great months of baseball in 2008!
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