Do you think Chris Davis should start at first base for the AL in the All-Star game? Would you like to see Manny Ramirez in the NL outfield? Well you better get busy, because time is running out on your ballot-stuffing opportunities.

The cutoff mark for voting for the July 14 game in St. Louis is Thursday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. That gives you four full days to get Willie Bloomquist a spot in the AL lineup. If it doesn't happen, it's all your fault, because you won't find an election this easy to influence outside of Iran.*

*This is not true: Everyone is allowed to vote 25 times, which really only serves to inflate the total numbers. Now if only, say, Pirates fans were allowed to vote 25 times, and everyone else only once, then we would have a scandal. (pick a LaRoche brother, any LaRoche brother!)

So log on to MLB.com and let your voice be heard. Rock the vote!

From a more serious angle, there are some interesting races in the final days of voting. (You can see the AL numbers here), and the NL numbers here.)

In the AL, you have the Yankees' Mark Teixeira with a lead of less than 40,000 votes over the Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis at first base. And Texas' Ian Kinsler with about a 60,000-vote lead on Boston's Dustin Pedroia at second base.

The NL appears to be more settled, with the closest race being between Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano for the third outfield spot.

The aforementioned Ramirez, currently on suspension and starring for the Inland Empire 66ers, is languishing in 6th place among NL outfielders. Though he does have the most votes of any current member of the California League. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH

• Rays at Blue Jays, June 29-July 1: The great Roy Halladay returns from the DL for Toronto on Monday. Both of these teams are solid, but neither one has been able to mount an attack on the Red Sox in the AL East. This series could give us an idea if it will happen at all.
• Angels at Rangers, June 29-July 1: The Angels, riding a five-game winning streak, have finally take over first place in the AL West. Now Texas has a chance to take it back.
• Brewers at Cubs, July 2-5: If ever there was a chance to throw the simmering Cubs' clubhouse into a full-blown meltdown, the Brewers have it with this four-game series.
• Mets at Phillies, July 3-5: For all their struggles and injuries the Mets still enter the week only two games behind their NL East rivals. Can they make up ground?
• Mariners at Red Sox, July 3-5: The Mariners should have been preparing a fire sale. Yet here they are, entering the week just three games out of first place despite dealing with a host of injuries and a two-man offense (Ichiro and Russell Branyan). Will they still be there after this week?

ON THE TUBE Monday, 7:08 p.m. ET: Mets at Brewers (ESPN)
Wednesday, 8:15 p.m.: Giants at Cardinals (ESPN)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Tigers at Twins (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Mets at Phillies (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Dodgers at Padres (FOX)
Sunday, 1 p.m.: All-Star selection show (TBS)
Sunday, 2 p.m.: Brewers at Cubs (TBS)
Sunday, 8:05 p.m.: Rays at Rangers (ESPN) *Check local listings

Darren Dreifort is going to be honored with induction into the national surgery hall of fame.

Actually, the oft-injured and frequently maligned former Dodgers pitcher will be entering the College Baseball Hall of Fame. But is there any doubt he could qualify for both?

The L.A. Times notes that Dreifort will be inducted on Friday in Lubbock, Texas, assuming, in his words, "whether I can walk, or how well I'm getting around."

It's nice to see the right-hander honored for his accomplishments at Wichita State, but is a painful reminder for Dodgers fans of how injuries derailed the career of a promising pitcher chosen one spot behind Alex Rodriguez in the 1993 draft. The Dodgers paid Dreifort nearly $64 million over the course of his career, including a $55 million deal before the 2001 season. For all that money, they got a 48-60 record and 274 appearances as a starter and reliever over parts of 11 seasons.

The grisly details:

And even though retired, his luck has not changed.

These days, Dreifort appears to be in peak condition, dressed for an interview in shorts, a tight T-shirt and running shoes. He notes, however, that he experiences almost constant pain.

"I'm doing nothing," he says on the eve of his most recent visit to the operating room, "and I'm still having surgery."

Adrian Gonzalez has walked a league-leading 57 times so far in 2009. He's on pace to receive 108 free passes over the course of this season.

That's not nearly enough.

Let's look at the line for the Padres' slugger: .274/.415/.606. That's 24 home runs in 69 games, and a 1.021 OPS.

In the Padres lineup, Scott Hairston (.951 OPS) has presented a consistent threat, but is just coming off the DL. Otherwise Gonzalez is surrounded by the likes of David Eckstein (.680 OPS), Kevin Kouzmanoff (.678) and Chase Headley (.674).

So when is it OK to pitch to Gonzalez? When you're up 10-0 and you like your bullpen. Otherwise, never. OK I'm exaggerating, but it really is amazing pitchers aren't smarter about this. Just put your ego aside and put him on. Or hope he gets impatient and chases something on the edges.

The Mariners, for example, were leading 1-0 in the fourth inning Tuesday night. Garrett Olson had a man on first with nobody out. Instead of walking Gonzalez and having two on with nobody out, he grooved a pitch to the big lefty that hasn't landed yet. Watch it! Padres 2, Mariners 1. It's just stupid.

And while we're handing out advice, the same rule applies to Albert Pujols. The Cardinals star has a 1.159 OPS. The players around him? Skip Schumaker (.754), Chris Duncan (.746), Ryan Ludwick (.744), and Rick Ankiel (.705).

Just makes sense.

When I saw the story, I almost decided to ignore it. Better to pretend it wasn't there than to give it any credence. But then I figured something needed to be said.

In case you didn't know, there have been rumors floating around regarding Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto's trip to the disabled list. Before returning to action tonight, Votto had been out with what was officially termed "an undisclosed stress-related issue."

It's a lame, mysterious description, for sure. And whenever we are confronted with lame, mysterious information, what do we do? We become a sewing circle, or a bunch of old dudes in a barber shop. We gossip. We speculate. By we, I mean all of us. Fans, writers, journalists, bloggers. Everyone.

The speculation got personal. The innuendo invasive. The word on the message board/blogosphere was that Votto is gay.

No proof. Just some twisted logic: Votto + stress = gay baseball player. To which I say two things:

1. No one should believe such words unless Joey Votto utters them himself.

2. Even if he does, who cares? Does it matter in the least?

If a gay athlete wants to come out of the closet, let him do so -- on his own. He should never be forced to come forth simply to answer rumors.

And a straight athlete shouldn't be put in a position where he feels the need to say "I'm not gay ... not that there's anything wrong with that."

Because there isn't anything wrong with it. But it's personal. And it's nobody's business.

As writer Jeff Pearlman, a man far more eloquent than myself, put it ...

A ballplayer should come out because it's important for America to see that gay does not mean weird or freaky or diseased. But nobody needs to be forced out via rumor and innuendo. It's not fair and it's not righteous.

I can only hope that Votto didn't feel the need to answer the rumors when he came forth on Tuesday with incredibly personal details about his absence.

Votto said that he has struggled dealing with the death of his father in August. He was distracted by baseball, but when he went on the DL in May with an upper respiratory infection, he became overwhelmed, and the emotions of his loss came crashing down. He struggled with depression, anxiety and panic attacks. He saw doctors. He called 911 in the middle of the night for a trip to the hospital. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"It finally seeped its way into the game. I just had to put an end to it. I really couldn't be out there. It's difficult to explain what I was going through. I couldn't do it. I physically couldn't do my job. That's what I've gone through.

Votto spoke of his love for his father, and the stress of being the oldest son and feeling as though he was now responsible for his family. He said the pressure was so great, he felt like he "was going to die."

It would be a terrible ordeal for anyone to deal with, let alone a public figure, a man who lives in the spotlight.

There is no need for any of us to add to it.

Manny Ramirez isn't eligible to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers until July 3, but the hype is already kicking into high gear as the tainted slugger begins his minor league warm-up on Tuesday in Albuquerque.

No matter what you think of the slugger and his pending return, you're bound to have an opinion about it. Everyone does.

One writer thinks it's a sham that he gets to play in the minors before his 50-game suspension for failing a drug test has been completed. Another scribe wonders why that's even an issue. It's not like he's getting special treatment. All suspended players are allowed to find their rhythm in the minors before their eligible to return.

And for what it's worth, my Uncle Frank thinks Ramirez, and anyone else caught doping, should be sent somewhere far, far away. Like Mars, maybe. I have a feeling many people feel the same way.

Regardless of where you fall on the Ramirez issue, it will be hard not to follow his movements over the next week or so. Whether you're thrilled or disgusted, you won't be able to turn your eyes away.

As one fan said "He's a cheater, but I still want to see him play." He's not alone.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, who average 7,000 fans per game, have already sold an extra 11,000 tickets in two days.

And the San Bernardino 66ers -- a single-A Dodgers farm team -- have already sold out Sunday's game, even though the Dodgers have yet to even confirm Ramirez will play there.

Fans can watch Ramirez play on Tuesday - for a fee - as the game will be broadcast on MiLB.TV.

And if you're expecting the slugger to need some time to shake off the rust, you might be surprised. The man who's been throwing him batting practice says Ramirez is already locked in.

"I can tell just by watching how the balls carry," said Flippo. "You can tell -- the way his rhythm is going when he has it together. You can tell if he looks comfortable. You can tell when a guy is fighting it. Everything is looking easy for him, as easy as when he came to us.

"One thing I can tell, when I throw a good pitch down the middle, I expect that to be hit. With him, even when I don't give him a good pitch, he still drives it. In Spring Training, if he got one of those bad pitches, he didn't hit it that good. Last year, when he joined us, no matter where the pitch was, he hit it hard. And right now, it's the same thing with him."

Let the hype begin.

John Smoltz makes his anticipated return to the mound on Thursday. It is also his anticipated debut for the Boston Red Sox, who signed him away from Atlanta in the offseason after the Braves showed somewhat tepid interest in keeping their aging star.

There is one problem with Smoltz's return, it would have been a lot more fun if it had come a day or two later.

On Thursday, Smoltz will take the mound in Washington against baseball's worst team - the Washington Nationals. On Friday, Boston begins a three-game series at Turner Field against the Atlanta Braves.

Clearly the Red Sox are easing the veteran right-hander back into things, and Smoltz himself says that's fine with him.

"I'm not afraid of any challenge or anything that comes about. It's just, I've got to be realistic to see that this scenario would have been much more than just a regular first-game start."

Smoltz already paid respects to his former teammates when the Braves were in Boston this past week, but it still would've been fun to have them face off against each other. Now the only way that happens this year is if both teams reach the World Series - unlikely to say the least.

Meanwhile, Boston fans, already undoubtedly pleased with Dice-K's trip to the disabled list, can get excited about adding another strong, veteran pitcher to the rotation. A guy who has made it a habit to be dominant on the mound, even when injured.

"Even when he's not healthy, his numbers don't fluctuate," marveled Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. "He's had a remarkable career."

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH

I hope you're sitting down for this, because I'm going to share a notion that might shock you right out of your Snuggie.

No, it's not that Jose Canseco is suing MLB. Or that Congress is now setting its sights on Sammy Sosa. Those two nuggets wouldn't even surprise this guy.

No, what I'm going to point out is so shocking, you might question everything you thought you knew about baseball:

DEREK JETER IS NOT SUCH A BAD DEFENDER ANYMORE.

That's right, he's not. In fact, at the age of 34 (35 in 9 days, don't forget to send a card), Jeter is putting together his finest defensive season since they've been keeping advanced defensive metrics.

Looking at two fielding stats, range runs and UZR, Jeter has improved immensely since 2005, when he contributed to one of the worst defensive teams to ever make the playoffs.

Here is how Jeter's numbers stack up since that season:

Range runs (Number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by how the fielder is able to get to balls in his vicinity)

2005: -17.1
2006: -7.1
2007: -16.0
2008: -3.2
2009 (through 60 games): 0.6

Ultimate zone rating (Number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs, outfield arm runs, double play runs and error runs combined)

2005: -14.3
2006: -6.8
2007: -15.3
2008: -0.5
2009 (through 60 games): 1.6

The improvement clearly started last season, when Jeter rededicated himself to defense, employing "exercises designed to improve his lateral quickness and first-step explosiveness."

So how has Jeter gone from being among the worst defensive shortstops in baseball to a slightly above-average one?

Is it something simple like these exercises he's doing? His diet? The fact that no one wants to hit the ball on the ground at the new Yankee Stadium?

I wonder what Jerod Morris thinks? That last one was a joke, folks.

I've got good news and bad news for Royals fans.

First the good news: Reliever Kyle Farnsworth had his finger bandaged on Tuesday after being bitten by his bulldog.

The bad news? The wound was on his non-pitching hand.

Rim shot!

The pitcher all (insert whatever team he's pitched for) love to hate received four stitches from the bite. He was trying to break up a fight between two of his bulldogs on Tuesday morning.

(Royals manager Trey) Hillman said Farnsworth should not miss any time with the injury.

"I'm planning on him wrapping it up and having him available,'' Hillman said.

But as easy as it is to poke fun at Farnsworth, you have to appreciate his smarts. As Crash Davis might say: "When you're breaking up a fight between two bulldogs, you don't use your pitching hand. God, I can't keep giving you these free lessons."

Also, he'll always have this great moment, which is perhaps the best takedown by a pitcher in a brawl EVER. (With apologies to Nolan Ryan).

Hmmm. Maybe he took up the wrong sport?

We know that the Washington Nationals are going to fire Manny Acta, probably sooner rather than later. And we also know that the Nationals are done. Finished. Cooked. Kaput.

The only thing they have left to play for is a second straight shot to draft a young, talented Scott Boras client No. 1 in the draft.

So who will lead this plucky band of players? How about Bobby Valentine?

According to SI's Jon Heyman the Nats are considering Valentine in their early discussions.

Valentine, who took the Mets to the World Series in 2000, is known for his high-energy, attention-grabbing style, which seems to have turned off MLB teams. (Remember this?) But he is loved in Japan, where he has coached the Chiba Lotte Marines for seven seasons. And as Heyman writes, Valentine ...

... is known for turning losers into winners. He has always liked a challenge. This definitely is a challenge. The Nationals are 29 games under .500 at a time no other team is more than 10 games under .500.

Stay tuned ...

All the talk of the Kansas City Royals being the Tampa Bay Rays of 2009 had already subsided long before Thursday night's game. Losing eight of 10 and plummeting to the bottom of the AL Central took care of that.

But now the whole idea is officially dead.

The Royals have some nice pitching, including The Great Greinke, and some young talent. But they're not the Rays. They're just the same old Royals, finding new and interesting ways to lose.

On Thursday, it was a flock of seagulls that gummed up the works, and neither Alfred Hitchcock nor the musical wonder from the 80s had anything to do with it.

No, it was an actual flock of gulls that got in the way of Shin-Soo Choo's line drive in the 10th inning, deflecting the ball away from Royals center fielder Coco Crisp and allowing Cleveland's Mark DeRosa to score without a throw.

"It was hit so sharply, I felt like I had a chance," Crisp said. "You never know what the heck is going to happen."

You can watch the video here.

Let's face it, the noodle-armed Crisp probably wasn't throwing out DeRosa. The Royals also made two errors, Greinke was merely mortal, and Kyle Farnsworth was - well - Kyle Farnsworth. But in the end, it was a wayward bird that ended it.

It was bizarre and crazy, and prompted writer Joe Posnanski to serve up an amazingly comprehensive and amusing list of past Royals miseries.

Lost in all of this is the homefield advantage the Indians have built up for themselves. Thursday night it was birds. Two years ago in the playoffs against the Yankees, it was a swarm of bugs that rattled Joba Chamberlain.

And for you conspiracy theorists, the bugs and birds are not unrelated.

The bugs, common near the lakefront in late spring, returned a few weeks ago, and for the past few weeks, flocks of gulls have flown around feeding off them, as well as scraps of food tossed by fans.

"I guess the bugs brought the birds with that whole nature thing," Crisp said. "I'd rather have the birds, to be honest."

So what's next in Cleveland? What eats sea gulls? Sharks? Or maybe this guy.

Where's Pedro? Perhaps back in the big leagues at some point soon.

Pedro Martinez, the biggest-name free agent pitcher still on the table -- with apologies to Tom Glavine - is finally starting to draw some interest.

On Thursday, reports out of Tampa Bay and the Dominican Republic said that a representative of the Tampa Bay Rays watched Martinez throw.

Later, the Boston Globe added that the Cubs were also at the workout, and that both teams had "begun to at least explore how much money it would take to lure Martinez back to the mound."

Money will be the key, of course. Martinez pitched well in the World Baseball Classic, and hoped for at least $5 million. No one bit, so Martinez waited.

Thursday's Globe report claimed that Martinez threw his fastball at around 94 mph in his workout, which seems remarkable even if he only threw a few pitches. This makes me wonder though: are the Rays and Cubs looking at Pedro as a reliever? That might be a way to save his arm and keep him healthy throughout the season.

Whenever you hear someone's curveball described as "dropping off the table" take it with a grain of salt.

According to one professor anyway, the curveball's action is part-physics, part-illusion, the movement aided by a trick of the eye.

Criss Angel would be proud.

"There's something physical about it and something illusory about it," said Bucknell University professor Arthur Shapiro. ... "They look like they jump or break or do all these funky things, but they don't. The idea that the bottom falls out isn't so. I'm not saying curveballs don't curve. I emphasize that, yes, they curve. They just do so at a more gradual rate. Instead of making a sudden hook, they would form a really big circle."

Shapiro explains that the eye exaggerates the break because peripheral vision is processed differently than straight on vision by the brain. So as the ball approaches and the viewpoint changes, the eye makes the ball's break look stronger than it is.

Shapiro made a very cool graphic to explain his idea, which he insists is only a hypothesis.

So what do players think? Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt offered his opinion for the story, and he had a thoughtful take, saying he agreed that the curveball presents an illusion to the hitter, but not due to peripheral vision.

"Hitters are seeing the ball with both eyes, not out of the side of front eye as suggested," said Schmidt. "I believe the illusion is a result of the speed with which the action takes place, not a peripheral view. Then again, I'm not a scientist, just a hitter."

Well, not just a hitter. Thanks to SPORTSbyBROOKS for this story.

Chase Utley hit two home runs on Wednesday, including what proved the game-winner in the top of the 11th, as the Phillies beat the Mets.

But before Utley could go yard, Jayson Werth saved the day in the bottom of the 10th, snaring David Wright's smoking liner with a diving/falling down catch to end the inning. Fernando Martinez was on first base and likely would've scored if the ball had gotten past Werth.

You can view video of the catch here.

Werth is proving to be quite a versatile player, giving the Phillies a fine outfield with Shane Victorino and the suddenly -- and perhaps unfairly -- embattled Raul Ibanez.

In the meantime, the injury-plagued Mets must try to stay afloat during a brutal stretch of games.

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun says he has been contacted by "The Bachelor" and asked to be on the show.

Apparently not worried about needing help finding love, or simply eager to maintain some self-respect, Braun said thanks, but no thanks to the show.

The conversation with ABC executives probably didn't go like this, but I sure wish it had.

Maybe Braun is holding out for a better show, like "Survivor." Or maybe he wants some name branding: "Ryan of Love?" "The Hills of Milwaukee?"

This whole story got me to thinking about some shows I might watch if they featured baseball players. And no, I didn't catch Jose Canseco in "The Surreal Life." Here are a few ...

"The Biggest Loser", featuring CC Sabathia, Carlos Silva and David Wells.

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss," with Joe Girardi.

And "Fear Factor," starring this Japanese pitcher.

What do you think?

So it turns out that there is nothing wrong with David Ortiz's vision.

Big Papi, at a loss for why he is hitting less than .200 with only two home runs this season, is turning over every stone to try to find the source of his woes. That included a trip to the eye doctor on Monday.

His vision checked out "very well" during an examination Monday, and the Boston Red Sox designated hitter was given drops for dry eyes, team spokesperson Pam Ganley said.

Well at least they gave him some eye drops to make him feel better.

But while some are having fun with Papi's trip to the eye doctor, even creating a humorous eye chart for the big slugger, others are pointing to statistics that suggest there might not be anything wrong at all.

In fact, as Craig pointed out earlier today, Oritz -- eye drops or not -- might be just on the receiving end of some terrible luck, and could be due to break out soon.

As for the Red Sox, they seem far more concerned with finding shortstop help.

Finally, it's Stephen Strasburg time.

On Tuesday, the man with the million-dollar arm (or $50 million, if Scott Boras gets his way) will be the first player selected in the First-Year Player Draft.

After months of hype and wonder over Strasburg, he of the 100-mph fastball and ridiculous control, he'll finally be a pro. Well not exactly. He'll have to sign first, and don't expect that to happen quickly. But you get the point.

The MLB draft obviously doesn't compare to the NFL or the NBA when it comes to hype and excitement, but the presence of Strasburg, the greatest pitching prospect since -- well maybe, ever? - should make Tuesday fun.

After the Nats make him the top pick, things will get a little more complicated, as teams stock up on more mortal talents like Dustin Ackley and Aaron Crow.

You can see a nice mock draft here, and a good list of the top 33 prospects here.

There's yet another list here.

On Tuesday, return to Circling the Bases for a recap of the draft. You'll be able to find bios of the top players on Rotoworld.com.

Now, on to a great week of baseball action ...

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH

After spending the last six months or so sitting around waiting for his phone to ring, Sammy Sosa is finally ready to call it quits.

He'll walk away with quite a resume: 609 home runs (sixth all-time), three seasons with more than 60 home runs, seven All-Star appearances, one MVP award. Clearly, Hall of Fame numbers.

He'll also carry with him, however, the stigma of steroid abuse. None of it concrete or proven, mind you, but a large enough pile of circumstantial evidence to raise plenty of suspicions.

In comments made Wednesday to ESPN, Sosa was already engaged in a preemptive attack on anyone who would doubt his candidacy for Cooperstown.

"Everything I achieved, I did it thanks to my perseverance, which is why I never had any long, difficult moments [as a baseball player]. If you have a bad day in baseball, and start thinking about it, you will have ten more.

"I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don't I have the numbers to be inducted?"

It's an odd turn of phrase, and likely little more than bluster. Anyone who would "calmly" wait out such an honor would not feel the need to announce it to the world. Sammy Sosa is going on the offensive, while sounding quite defensive about it.

In a thoughtful column for the Chicago Sun-Times, Chris De Luca takes Sosa to task. He has some questions for Sosa that he'd like answered.

Why, De Luca asks, didn't Sosa meet with Sen. George Mitchell?

Why would Jose Canseco - who has been proven correct on a number of steroid issues - say that the physical changes in Sosa's body clearly point to use of performance-enhancers?

Why, given the chance to confront the allegations, would Sosa take a pass?

While Sosa is calmly waiting for his induction to the Hall of Fame -- he can expect some anxious moments -- he better either keep his mouth shut on the subject of steroids or be willing to take the allegations against him head-on.

So is Sosa a Hall of Famer? If it were solely up to the numbers, the question would be ridiculous. First ballot, no problem.

But as Mark McGwire has found out, it's not going to be that easy. When Sosa's name comes up on the ballot in five years, voters will be faced with these two questions:

1. Do you believe Sammy Sosa took performance-enhancing drugs?
2. Does it matter?

In the next five years, more information could come forth either damning or absolving Sosa on the first question. It's unlikely, but possible.

So it will probably come down to the second question. Does it matter? Keep in mind, voters are asked to consider character.

Voting -- Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

So far, based on the actions of Hall of Famer voters, it does indeed matter. Unless Sosa comes up with a good explanation, he would be advised to not sit and wait so calmly.

St. Louis Cardinals fans must be nervous. It seems like the baseball gods are trying to hurt Albert Pujols.

On Monday night, Pujols appeared to tweak his ankle while hustling into second base, getting his spikes caught in the dirt just before beginning his slide.

Turns out he was fine -- even shrugging it off, saying he'd be in the lineup Tuesday -- but it was scary enough for the trainers to come out to check him out.

If that wasn't enough, turns out even some media members are after him. Do I smell a conspiracy?

Jack Curry of the New York Times wrote on Monday of an encounter last week with Pujols in which ...

Our ankles got tangled for a moment and both of us nearly tripped.

"You all right?," Pujols said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

It's not like Pujols needs more All-Star votes so we'll assume his concern for Curry was genuine.

To his credit, Curry found the question hilarious, and responded correctly, saying "We'd be in a lot worse shape if anything happened to you."

So true. Had Pujols taken out Curry with their accidental game of Twister, it's just another reporter down and out. (Click here for a great list)

But can you imagine the furor if a reporter had put the planet's best hitter on the disabled list? That would be a true test of the power of the press.

We've just rolled out a new section on NBCSports.com called The Five Spot.

We throw out a topic, rank the top five, and let the readers have their turn. Sort of like our own little place for bar arguments, only hopefully a little more coherent.

Anyway, the debut topic for "The Spot" is baseball's top five pitchers. The list?

1. Johan Santana
2. Roy Halladay
3. Tim Lincecum
4. CC Sabathia
5. Cole Hamels

So who got left off? Should the order be changed? For the record, I'd put Zack Greinke on there. But that's just me.