MLB Network: Beats the heck out of ESPN!

Give credit to the new MLB Network for doing such a fantastic job right away.

And give credit to San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell for noticing.

“I truly believe ESPN only cares about promoting the Red Sox and Yankees and Mets – and nobody else,” Bell, a former Met, recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “That's why I like the MLB Network, because they promote everybody. I'm really turned off by ESPN and 'Baseball Tonight.' When Jake Peavy threw 8 1/3 innings on Saturday, they showed one pitch in the third inning and that was it. It's all about the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets.”

Bell has noticed what so many of the rest of us have … that ESPN is only about three teams.

No wonder that when neither of the New York teams nor Boston goes far in the playoffs, the TV ratings go down. That’s because people know relatively little about the 27 other teams … thanks to ESPN.

The great thing about the MLB Network is that it treats all 30 teams the same. You’re just as likely to see highlights of the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates as you are to see the Big Three teams ESPN drools over.

Matt Vasgersian, lead studio host for MLB Network, also hit it on the head when he said you won’t have to wait 15-30 minutes to see your team’s highlights as you might on ESPN (especially if you’re not the Yankees, Mets or Red Sox.)

Plus, MLB Network often goes to live shots around the leagues. For instance, it was great to see Ken Griffey Jr. within moments of his 400th home run as a member of the Seattle Mariners.

Here’s one vote in favor of the MLB Network. Keep up the good work!

Kansas City Royals could win NL West

The Kansas City Royals could be the best team in the west.

Make that the NL West.

The Royals now reside in last place in the AL Central. But if they moved to the NL West, it would obviously be a different story.

It’s no coincidence the Royals are on a three-game winning streak … it’s because they are playing teams from the Weak, Weak NL West.

In fact, Kansas City is 5-2 overall against the NL West.

The Royals won two of three against both the Arizona Diamondbacks (on the road) and San Francisco Giants (at home) before Monday night’s home win against the Colorado Rockies.

Luckily for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, they don’t have to play the Mighty Royals this season.

Much of Kansas City’s success is due to closer Joakim Soria, who already has 20 saves. Yes, this is the same Soria the Padres let go to Kansas City in the Rule V draft two years ago.

As weak as the Padres’ bullpen has been, couldn’t they use somebody like Soria right about now?

Bradley = Trouble with a capital 'T'

Milton Bradley comes to the Padres with the reputation of a troublemaker.

Make that MilTon Bradley because the guy is trouble with a capital "T."

The least of it is that Bradley has been on the disabled list six times the past two seasons. The latest came Sunday when the Padres placed him on the DL with a strained left oblique.

The Oakland Tribune noted that Bradley played up the injury not to go to Kansas City in a proposed recent trade. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Athletics had no knowledge of the injury when Bradley used it to scuttle the KC trade.

Bradley’s childish outbursts are well documented. Here’s a list of his on-field acts in 2004 alone; which do not include 2004-05 incidents of domestic violence charges, disorderly conduct or leaving the scene of a traffic stop:

Pulled from an exhibition game by Cleveland for not running hard; traded to the Dodgers four days later.
Throws a bag of balls on the field; earning a $2,500 fine and four-game suspension.
After a fan throws a plastic bottle at him for missing a fly ball, he throws the bottle at the feet of fans; warranting a $15,000 fine and five-game suspension.

Then there’s the Bradley who accused former Dodger teammate Jeff Kent of not being able to deal with African-American teammates. This came after Bradley (again) failed to hustle.

Bradley may have a point about Kent. But if he looks in the mirror, he will see someone with strong evidence suggesting he has problems getting along with non-black players. (Or even black reporters, such as the one from the Los Angeles Times he referred to as an "Uncle Tom.")

That could be a real issue in San Diego. The Padres have only two other black players: Mike Cameron and Terrmel Sledge. And Bradley’s acquisition may mean the end of Sledge with the Padres.

The Padres, who acquired the multi-talented Bradley without a physical, are probably going on the theory that new employees tend not to create waves within their first three months on the job. Once the season is over, Bradley can leave as a free agent.

Since moving to Petco Park in 2004, the Padres have had amazing team chemistry while being a proven winner. Bradley certainly has the potential to blow up that chemistry lab.

Interleague play should take a hike

Interleague play needs to go bye-bye.

Started in 1997, it is a concept that simply has no use anymore.

“Maybe it has run it course at this point,” Seattle television color commentator Mike Blowers said while the Mariners were sweeping the Padres last weekend.

Maybe, indeed.

Unless it’s crosstown rivalries such as Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox or Dodgers-Angels; interleague play is just not that interesting.

Everyone wants to play the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees; but when you’re left with someone such as the Kansas City Royals or Tampa Bay DevilRays, it’s hard to build interest in a National League city.

Please, save the All-Star Game and World Series for interleague play.

As for the Padres, they get lucky this weekend. The only non-interleague matchup of the weekend is their three-game series at Chicago against the Cubs.

Enough of Yankees-Red Sox!

Kudos go out to Michael Wilbon of PTI (Pardon the Interruption) on ESPN.

Wilbon was asked by co-host Tony Kornheiser yesterday whether Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox would win his seventh game of the season last night.

“Do we ever talk about any teams but the Red Sox and Yankees on this show?” responded Wilbon, who refused to answer the question.

Amen!

It does seem to many of us as if the Red Sox and New York Yankees are the only teams ever to be featured on ESPN. If memory serves me correctly, those teams combined have won the World Series once in the past six years.

It’s getting to the point where the multitudes would probably just as soon hear about the Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals, rather than the Yankees and Red Sox.

Did Beckett win his seventh game last night? Yes, he did.

But to paraphrase Wilbon from yesterday: Who cares?