Rivera DOESN'T Get Lit Up (And 3 Other Baseball Notes)

It felt like a newsworthy event that Mariano Rivera entered the game tonight and didn't get rocked. Low blow? Absolutely.

Also in baseball ...

Reyes on pace for 100 steals!

We all love projections in baseball, so I wonder why nobody is talking about Jose Reyes' torrid baserunning. He stole his 14th base tonight, which has him on pace for 103 on the season. No one has swiped 100 bags since Vince "Firecracker" Coleman bagged 109 in 1987. Not only that, but considering the following fun facts:

- Only four guys in the "modern era" (after 1900) have ever crested 100 stolen bases (Maurey Wills, Lou Brock, Coleman, and, of course, Ricky Henderson).

- The best total since Henderson's 93 in 1988 is 78 by Marquis Grissom in 1992.

- The best total in this decade is 70 by Scott Podsednik in 2044.

Forget A-Rod making a run at 73 jacks, Reyes going for 100 steals is far more exciting.

Danny Haren is AL Pitcher of the Month

Well, I don't hand out the awards, but if I did, he would get it. He improved to 3-2 tonight, which doesn't tell the whole story, as his ERA is 1.60 and he has anchored an Oakland staff dealing with a (surprise, surprise) injury to Rich Harden and the departure of Barry Zito.

(Danny would like to thank Felix Hernandez's elbow for this lovely award.)

(Oh, also, the AL Worst Pitcher of the Month goes to Jeff Weaver of the Mariners, thanks to his 0-4 record and 18.35 ERA. Solid. Right now, thousands of Detroit Tigers fans are breaking out in a cold sweat.)

Bonds is Raking

This just in: Barry Bonds is the best hitter in the National League right now. Sucks for all the media members who make their living from the Great Bonds Witch Hunt. I mean, we have to assume he's clean now, so how do you explain the .362 average, +.500 OBP, +1.300 OPS, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI? He leads the NL in OBP, slugging, and OPS, and is second in home runs (behind Jimmy Rollins, of all people). All this at age 42? Yikes.