MLB Pitching Report

By Joe Klein, Contributing Writer

The best pitcher in the league is definitely Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke. He has been good one year, bad another, and has spent a lot of time in the minor leagues, but right now he’s the best. Entering May 15, 2009, he has an ERA of 0.51 (best in majors) and a 6-1 record with 59 strikeouts. Also, he has 3 earned runs and 8 walks in 53.0 IP. His only loss (a 1-0 loss to the Angels), Greinke threw a 4 hitter in 8 innings. If he continues this excellence, he could be the CY Young winner. There are more great pitchers this year. Johan Santana of the Mets has had a great start; 4-2 with a 0.78 ERA, 4 Earned Runs allowed, and no offense. He currently leads the NL in ERA, and has looked fantastic despite 2 losses. The other really great pitcher is Roy Halladay, who is getting plenty of offense from the Blue Jays lineup. He is 7-1 with a 2.95 ERA, and only 7 walks. Halladay has always been an elite pitcher, and he will continue to be.

Johnny Cueto is a 23 year old pitcher for the Reds, and he is probably the best young pitcher. This year, he has the 3^rd lowest ERA in baseball (1.93), and he’s 4-1. He can reach mid-90 on his fastball, and a killer slider. The Reds also have talent in young arm Edinson Volquez, who is 25. He’s wild, as he has issued 28 walks on the year, but he could develop into great talent for the Reds.

Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) has pitched well as a closer for the Mets; 10 saves and a 1.02 ERA, but he is not the best closer. Frank Francisco of the Texas Rangers has 9 saves, but has not allowed a run in 15 innings of work. Fantasy players; Frank Francisco is the best closer in the league.

Pirates of Somalia

By Christopher M. Cassidy, Staff Writer

As you may have heard, there is a huge issue with piracy near the coast of Somalia. Pirates have hijacked lots of ships, and acquired huge ransoms for ships and sometimes hostages. They recently took Captain Richard Phillips hostage in exchange for his ship, the Maersk Alabama, to be free. However, US foreign policy does not allow for negotiation in terms of hostages; you get them back by force. Navy snipers recently killed three pirates and captured another in a rescue operation for Captain Phillips. President Obama has vowed to put an end to piracy off Somalia by naval force in cooperation with naval task forces from India, Japan, Germany, France, and China, to name a few. This long episode of piracy is expected to come to a climax and a finish sometime in the presidency of Mr. Obama. Anti-piracy motion has taken action immediately. Pirates are being put on trial in Kenya, and a high pirate leader recently surrendered in response to increasing naval pressure and increasing hostility on Somalian shores. Indian warships have also sunk larger numbers of pirate ships off of Somalian trade routes. This is one of the Obama administration’s earliest promises to take action. Let’s hope this one works, and that other promises do too!