Newsworthy Notes

- It's unbelievable to me that the Rays go from starting Scott Kazmir in Game 1 of the World Series last season to trading him to the Angels as they hit the stretch drive to make the playoffs this season. Kazmir is not an ace in the Johan Santana-Roy Halladay mold, but still. The Rays have traded Kazmir and Edwin Jackson in the last 10 months, and it seems to be at least partially payroll driven. That does not bode well for the probability of keeping many of their great young players for too much longer.

-Unlike my cousin the Doc, I really like the Dodgers getting Jim Thome for the last month of the season and the playoffs. He can't play first, but he'll be a Matt Stairs-like lefthanded power threat off the bench for the Dodgers. Also, apparently Manny Ramirez loves Thome, so if that helps Manny be more productive, the move is worth it just for that.

-Jon Garland won't help the Dodgers in the playoffs, but he might help them win another game or two down the stretch, which could be the difference between homefield or not in the NL playoffs.

-The Phillies have scored 18 runs in the last eight games. Slump. An eight games up in the standings in early September slump.

-Facing Tim Lincecum in your next game isn't good for a slump either.

-Raul Ibanez is hitting .179 with one home run and five RBI since July 27th. His average is tied for worst in the majors. He doesn't look like he can catch up to even average fastballs either. Is this because his groin still bothers him? Is this because he's 37 and hit the wall?

-Has there ever been a better flip of roles than the Phillies have pulled in switching J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park's roles? Happ is a legitimate candidate to win the NL Rookie of the Year award, and Park has been dominant at times in short relief. This comes after Happ was lost in the shuffle as the Phils long man early in the year, and Park was terrible as a starter.

-I'm getting worried about the availability of J.C. Romero for the Phillies as the playoffs draw near.

-If either Mariano Rivera or Huston Street is out for any significant period of time, you can count out the playoff prospects of the Yankees and Rockies, respectively.

-Jason Giambi already has three RBI in two plate appearances for the Rockies. That makes the move worth it for the Rocks, even if he never does anything else for them.

-Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez mixed it up a little bit in the Marlins clubhouse. Apparently Uggla didn't appreciate what he perceived as Ramirez being a little soft and not playing with a minor injury. If I were Ramirez, I'd probably respond by saying that I don't appreciate Uggla hitting .245, trying to hit a home run on every swing and fielding like a 92 year old.

-I'd like to see Curt Schilling run for the Senate in Massachussetts. Yes, Schill is often opinionated and outspoken, and sometimes annoyingly so, but what politician isn't? Love him or hate him, Schilling is an extremely hard worker and a very smart guy. He would bring some juice and star power to the Senate, would join another former Phillies ace, Jim Bunning, a Republican Senator from Kentucky. The problem for Schilling, of course, is getting elected as a Republican in a notoriously blue state like Massachussets.

-Big ups to Aaron Boone, who made his 2009 debut for the Astros last night after undergoing open-heart surgery during spring training. By all accounts a good guy, it's a great thing to see anyone back on the field after something like that.