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Okay, so I said I would not write another piece on baseball until I did an article about some of the amazing stories coming out of both the NBA and NHL playoffs over the last few weeks. But how could I resist with so many "extracurricular activities." going on in the Major League Baseball over the last week.

To say that Major League Baseball has some integrity issues to work out is not a stretch by any means. From A-Rod’s recent transgressions to a new book about Roger Clemens to Manny’s
50-game suspension for taking a female fertility drug, it was just too much to ignore.

I must also not forget to mention that we've got Hall of Fame careers coming undone, Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster bouncing balls off Brewers slugger Ryan Braun’s melon, Jamie Walker being fined by Major League Baseball for his comments about umpire Angel Hernandez, and the latest -- Bobby Jenks apparently hitting Texas Ranger Ian Kisler in the butt on purpose.

It’s mass hysteria. But there is more going on in Major League Baseball’s 130th year other than juice and jive.

First of all, we have a competitive Kansas City Royals team that is currently tied with Detroit atop the AL Central Division. Then there are the Blue Jays who currently lead baseball’s toughest division, the American League East, in front of both the BoSox and the Yanks. Let’s don’t let Randy Johnson’s achieving his 298th career win be overshadowed by Manny’s inability to produce testosterone. Johnson will likely be the last pitcher to reach this milestone for a long time to come and as fans we should enjoy the excitement.

Not since DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak has there been such a buzz as the Nationals Ryan Zimmerman’s hit streak moves to 30, the longest by a third baseman since 1980.

Maybe it’s not for the record books but it is still worth mentioning, that in a rare feat, Phillies Jayson Werth stole his way all the way home -- only 49 players in MLB history have stolen all three bases in the same inning — only nine since 1942 and the last Phillie to do it was Pete Rose in 1980.

And finally what about Albert Pujols? Prince Albert is currently tied for most home runs with the Rays Carlos Pena. Since winning Rookie of the Year in 2001, Pujols has racked up seven All-star appearances, four Silver Sluggers, two MVP’s, a Golden Glove, and a Hank Aaron Award. He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in baseball today and, as far as we know, steroid-free.

So let's celebrate some of this year’s remarkable achievements happening in baseball and try to put Manny’s 50-game suspension, Roger Clemens’ “misremembering" act., and A-Rod’s proof that steroids don't help you hit in the clutch, behind us, and enjoy the greatest sport in America.

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Another NFL draft has -- mercifully -- come to an end. As expected, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford was sentenced to six years with the Detroit Lions, a team that finished 0-16 in 2008. Fortunately, for Stafford he will be paid $78 million dollars for his time and emotional distress. Members of his family will reportedly be allowed to visit him on weekends and he will be allowed one conjugal visit per month.

Ah, there is nothing quite like the NFL draft. Diehard fans from across the country attend the event in person or watch it on television, eagerly waiting to see the newest addition to their favorite team. Watching the draft is on a par with sitting through a 17 hour Joanie Loves Chachi marathon.

Unlike the NBA draft, which is a slam-bam two-hour event, the NFL draft is two unbearable days beginning with the first round, when teams are given 10 minutes to make their selection, even the team with the first pick.

The teams have the entire off-season to make their choice, so doesn’t it seem a waste of time that the #1 selection is made only after the entire 10 minutes are up? After the first pick is out of the way, 31 other teams use their entire 10 minutes as well, making the first round drag on, and on, and on, sometimes for up to four hours.

Of course, fans are led to believe that in the “war rooms,” there is a whirlwind of action where team officials huddle up to make important decisions like last-second calls about possible trades. But while all this “action” is taking place, fans are left to sit and wait, knowing nothing about what is actually gong on.

The second day of the draft is when things reach the bottom of the barrel as the final four rounds are completed. I means who the hell cares at this point. Thank God, teams are no longer given 10 minutes to make their selection, but that’s because by this time the talent is so depleted that picking a player is really a crapshoot anyway.

Other factors of the NFL Draft that are just as if not more annoying is how suspense is totally diffused by the No. 1 pick being signed before Draft Day, players in attendance behind the stage, mock drafts and Mel Kiper.

Last March NFL owners agreed to make changes to the NFL draft adopting a few new rules, but more changes will need to be made to fix a broken system. Here are a few of my own.

Start the draft at 10 a.m. That way, in the event that the first few picks are still predictable, people are waking up for the surprises and, by the time nobody cares anymore, they still have the afternoon to kill.

Next, have the prospective draft picks sit in the front rows, like they do in award shows. Don't hide them from the world. Then, have a host. Someone like, Howard Stern, Tom Green, or Jerry Springer to announce the draft picks.

Finally, I did find one thing interesting about the draft. The interviews with some of the functionally illiterate students that somehow managed to snag scholarships to prestigious institutions of so-called higher learning.

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In case you haven’t noticed it’s playoff time for both the NBA and the NHL. While both have some interesting first round match-ups, I have decided to do a comparison to give you the chance to decide which league offers more excitement during the playoffs.

So lets fire up the clichés, ‘We don’t care who we play’, ‘We’re just happy to be in the playoffs”, and whatever lame catchphrase the 12th man scrub on some basketball team dreams up in the hopes of banking some extra pennies should the team catch fire, and some city marketing campaign decides to buy it.

Lets start the debate with tradition. The NHL has its playoff beards, no one is allowed to touch the conference championship trophy, and baiting the other team to get in a fight for a precious power play. The NBA has Tracy McGrady losing in the first round, the NBA burying at least one entire series on the NBA network, and TNT’s 30 games in 30 nights tired out promotion. The winner here is clearly the NHL.

Next we look at television coverage. The NHL has some network in the called Versus, with programming timed in-between high-def bull riding, and rock-climbing. The NBA is can be easily viewed on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, just to name a few. I’m afraid that NBA wins this category hands down. This is like a bunch of pro ballers playing the dorks from gym class, including the guy who plays in jeans. While 80 percent of America doesn’t even know hockey’s season has started, the NBA had a TV show to announce its TV schedule.

What would a professional league be without its stars? Sure the NHL has Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and that’s apparently it according to the commissioner’s office. You’re right Gary von Gary. Boston has no stars -- except maybe the Norris winner. Syd the kid doesn’t play with anyone decent -- except an MVP candidate, and Detroit’s all-star roster has been a fluke except for winning multiple cups and awards. The NBA on the other hand has Kobe, Bron-Bron, and D-Wade amongst the other billion. Clearly the NBA is the winner here. During an NHL broadcast you might come across one of these during a commercial break --an NBA player.

Some people might say that both the NHL and NBA playoffs are like a season of its own. This year the NHL will give us eight great match-ups and teams that are better, but it's not uncommon for a team to catch lightning and maybe a hot goalie and make a run for the cup. The NBA? Hmm, will Boston, Cleveland, or Orlando play the Lakers? Four out of 16 teams? Why even bother? Yawn. This one goes to the NHL, with the best top to bottom playoff of any sport. And it doesn’t have to be your team to warrant a good game.

Finally the NHL has the best trophy ever while the NBA has a golden ball on the edge of a rim. The next time an athlete tells a story about christening his baby in the NBA trophy, then feeding his dog out of it, then taking it to a stripper, and then boozing whiskey out of it all in the same night, I might listen. Lord Stanley rules. Winner, the NHL.

The overall winner in comparison is the NHL, but since no one knows if they’re even on TV, I guess the NBA will take the title. Unsatisfying? So is the BCS, deal with it.

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For a baseball purist like myself, Opening Day is like Christmas. It's pretty much the greatest event of the year outside of the annual hot-dog eating contest at Coney Island.

Opening Day is a tradition at the beginning of every new Major League Baseball season. Falling somewhere around the beginning of the month of April, it signals a newness and a chance to forget the past season, a spring-cleaning of sorts, a place every team and their millions of fans begin the season with a perfect record on Opening Day -- unless you count that trumped-up Sunday night game that ESPN has aired the past 10 years. By the end of opening day of baseball, though, 50 percent of the teams are wondering why they lost.

It's a scene that returns reassuringly year after year. The intense Crayola green of the manicured field, the perfect 90-degree corners exactly 90 feet apart, the men in uniform palpably itching with eagerness as they await the first "thwap" of a little white ball smacking into the catcher's mitt.

Since the first professional Opening Day in 1876, the ritual has unfolded according to an invisible plan. The first pitch generally yields to nine engrossing innings and the sadly mistaken belief it will go on forever. A rich history of special events have occurred on Opening Day, that includes President William Howard Taft throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in 1910, beginning a tradition for presidents, Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American player in the major leagues in 1947, and Hank Aaron hitting home run No. 714 to tie Babe Ruth’s record in 1974.

Joe DiMaggio once said of opening day, “You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

This year I am going to Fenway on Opening Day. So in honor of my pilgrimage to the Mecca of baseball, I am boldly declaring Opening Day a quasi-religious holiday that justifies work stoppage. So if you play hooky from work one day a year, this is the day to do it.

The boys of summer are back in town, play ball.

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The Tuskers (2-8) ended the 2009 season Saturday with a loss to the San Diego Old Aztecs (5-5) 50-10 at San Diego.

The Tuskers were blanked by San Diego in the first half 40-0. Billy Ross and Abel Ruesga would score back-to-back trys for Kern County late in the second half to close the gap 10-45 before a final San Diego try ended the match with a final score of 50-10.

The Man of the Match Award went to Zacharia Peters.

The Tuskers would like to thank the community for their support. Upcoming Tuskers events will be an open rugby clinic to be held in May and the summer 7s tournament. For more information please visit www.kcrugby.com.

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The Tuskers (2-7) were shut out 26-0 Saturday to rivals the San Luis Obispo Grogs (2-7) at Damon-Garcia Sports Field in San Luis Obispo.

The Grogs would defeat the Tuskers, who have not posted a win against San Luis Obispo since Feb. 25, 2006, for the second time this season. The Tuskers could not hold on to the ball racking up 18 knock-ons and three missed scoring opportunities inside the 22 meter line in the first half alone. San Luis Obispo would score three more unanswered try’s in the second half cruising to a 26-0 win.

The Kern Wood Award went to Zacharia Peters.

The Tuskers will conclude their 2009 season April 4 at 1 p.m. against the San Diego Old Aztecs (4-4) at Robb Field in San Diego.

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The Tuskers (2-6) get their first win in eight years against Riverside spoiling the playoff hopes for the Killer Bees (3-5) this past Saturday at Emerald Cove Park, 23-14.

Riverside would score first but the Tuskers would answer by launching an all out attack mid-way into the first half scoring four trys and a penalty goal with help from Soon Jo Hong, Scott McDonald, Mark Eberhard and Billy Ross. The Tuskers would hold on for their second win of the season officially knocking Riverside out of the playoffs.

“ We are very proud of the young players on the team and it is very evident that they are gaining confidence in themselves and each other”, stated Club President Ahmed Baaumer.

Billy Ross received the Man of the Match Award and the Kern Wood Award went to Andy Magargee. The Tuskers next game will be at San Luis Obispo (1-6) Mar. 28 at 1 p.m.

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Whether you are male or female, young or old, spend hours picking your brackets or chose your teams by who would win a fight between the mascots, anyone can fill out a bracket and have a chance to win following these 10 simple rules of bracketeering.

1. Only once (in 2008) have all four number one seeds made the Final Four. So don’t put all four no.1 seeds in the Final Four. But if the top four seeds all make it to the Final Four, and I mean if. Louisville would take on Connecticut and Pittsburgh would face North Carolina.

2. A 16 has never beaten a one. There is a reason why they are a 16 seed.

3. A 15 rarely beats a two. Don’t pick this unless you feel lucky or your alma mater is playing.

4. A 14 or a 13 beats a three or four seed practically ever year. Take a shot with one of these, because if you get it right you are a genius or at least you can claim to be one.

5. A 12 will beat a five, maybe even two of them. Picking one maybe two might give you the upset you are looking for.

6. Six vs.11 games are the hard ones; because no. 6 seeds have been know to make deep runs. They usually have talent, but they are inconsistent. At least one 6 seed will make it to the Sweet Sixteen, while the other will lose in the opening round.

7. Seven vs.10 games and the 8-9 games are toss-ups. Never refer to a 9 beating an 8 an upset. It isn’t an upset. They are the same caliber of team. The only people who call them an upsets are “experts” who are too chicken to pick an actual upset. A 10 over a 7 just barely qualifies for an upset.

8. At least one no. 1 seed will not make it to the Elite Eight, yet all the talking heads will be shocked when this happens.

9. At least one no. 2 seed will not make it to the Sweet Sixteen, yet again, everyone will be shocked when this happens.

10. At least 3 of the Final Four teams will be top 3 seeds in their regions, and a top 3 seed will win the National Championship.

Lastly find yourself a Cinderella and dance with her at the Sweet 16, take a 10 seed or a 12 seed to win their first two games because it makes the tourney that much more fun. Remember that teams that play defense tend to win more games. So especially look for defensive-minded teams. If your bracket is busted, don’t let it ruin March Madness for you. March Madness is well -- madness.

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There will be joy in Mudville when mighty Manny advances to the bat. It’s sunny, the band is playing, hearts are light, men are laughing, and children are shouting. “Manny is here”.

Yes, Manny-mania has returned to Chavez Ravine. After an often tense, four-month negotiation process that occasionally included sarcastic and hostile exchanges between the sides, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Ramirez have agreed to a two-year $45 million contract -- making Ramirez baseball's second-highest-paid player behind Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.

Ramirez, who turns 37 in May, will make $10 million this year with another $15 million set aside in deferred payments. If he exercises his own player option for 2010, he will get another $10 million that year and then three deferred payment installments of $8.3 million from 2011-13.

Ramirez originally took Dodgertown by storm on July 31, 2008 through a three-team trade involving the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates and served as the spark for the Dodgers' run to the National League Western division title, hitting a combined 37 home runs and driving in 121 runs.

With a frenzy not seen since Fernando-mania in 1981 or Nomo-Mania in 1995, have Dodgers fans been so fervent about a single player, going as far as renaming the left field pavilion, formerly known as East LA, to Mannyville. Dodgers’ tickets sales are on the rise, Ramirez memorabilia are the hottest items at the park and those funky black wigs that are supposed to resemble Ramirez's dreadlocks are selling wildly. Not to mention the new Manny Ramirez biography, “Becoming Manny," co-authored by clinical psychologist, Jean Rhodes. This is why the Dodgers need Ramirez. He can put more fans in seats and stir up a fever that hasn't been in Los Angles for over 27-years.

But what happens when the crush wears off? Dodgers’ fans will likely get to see Manny's nauseating egotistical dark side. You know the one that includes not running out ground balls and letting fly balls drop. Put aside for the moment the issue of how he dogged it in Boston and then turned it on only when it was apparent he would force his way out. The kind term that was used was, it’s just "Manny being Manny", but pure laziness and lack of commitment are more accurate.

Can he sustain his ridiculous .396/.489/.743 line? Probably not. But he'll be his usual mashing self and will make everyone in the lineup around him better. Since there's no other true home run threat on the Dodgers, he could rake in some serious RBIs.

Beware Angelinos as there is always the threat of the imminent Manny Meltdown which will happen, have no doubt. It's just a question of when and how. But until then enjoy. Not since Kurt Gibson’s limp off home run in game one of the 1988 World Series has it been such a magical time to be a Dodger fan.

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This year the Cal League will boast some of the hottest prospects since Josh Hamilton, Jake Peavey and Matt Cain. This years hottest prospect will Bakersfield's Justin Smoak, but there are several more worth watching from around the Cal League as they make their way through Bakersfield.   

Bakersfield Blaze (Texas Rangers)
Player to watch in 2009
Justin Smoak (1B) was the Rangers #11 pick in the 2008 draft. During his three years at the University of South Carolina, the switch-hitting first baseman set career records with 62 home runs and 207 RBIs. With a smooth, easy swing and decent power, this switch-hitting first baseman might just be the long-term answer to the Mark Teixeira shaped hole in the Rangers lineup.
Other prospects to watch for in 2009
Michael Main (RHP), Blake Beavan (RHP) and Engel Beltre (OF)