Here are links from around the SportsBlogs family for this week:
- Dan Scotto from Beyond the Boxscore has his weekly Power 30 ranked. The Cardinals top the list, with everyone's favorite team, the Red Sox, coming in at second.
- John Sickels from Minor League Ball had a Prospect Retro on Wade Boggs for his induction into Cooperstown. Sickels runs down Boggs' successful minor league career, as you can visualize how well he made the transition of hitting just .263 in the New York-Penn League in '76, to hitting .335 for Pawtucket in '81.
- Blez (yes, the Blez) from Athletics Nation has a nice breakdown on Barry Zito comparing this season to all the prior ones. Zito has traveled rough roads some years, but this year looks like it will shape up to be one of his best, and maybe better than his Cy Young season, as Blez points out.
- Scott from Camden Chat has his reactions to the biggest news in baseball. That being, of course, Rafael Palmeiro being suspended for steroids. Every SB Nation site has touched on Palmeiro at least once, I believe, but Scott is the resident O's fan, and he tells it like it is.
- I want everyone to check out LetsGoTribe.com, and welcome the newest blogger to SB Nation. Ryan, who previously maintained The Indians Compendium, is the new writer for Lets Go Tribe as he takes over for Mike, the former writer who is moving on due to other things.
- Jeff from Bless You Boys breaks down the Tigers signing of Placido Polanco. And, as Jeff points out, that makes Polanco a member of the Next Relevant Tiger Team, due for "2000-something."
- I just want you to go and visit Jim McLennan at AZ Snake Pit just because he's a great writer for a team that isn't doing too hot this year. I'm sure he's getting lonely, so go leave a message thanking him for Curt Schilling.
- Jung Bong was arrested. Just guess why.
- The Padres Boys from Gas Lamp Ball had some "fun" during a Surf Dawgs game.
- Apparently Win Probability charts are becoming all the rage, as Eric Simon from Amazin' Avenue shows us. Maybe I'll have to start fitting in with the crowd and doing some of my own.
- Bleed Cubbie Blue fans are not optimistic, according to this poll.