Kuzul

It’s official.

The San Francisco Giants are my favorite team in baseball. I root for the White Sox as a rule, but it’s hard not to like the Giants.

Voting a full World Series share to a gravely ill clubhouse employee, Tim Lincecum giving a big fat check to help pay for a comatose Giants fan and now this?

My favorite team, and it’s not even close.

YouTube sensation Keenan Cahill (who lives not far from me, by the way) has made a name for himself as a viral king by lip-syncing to pop tunes. Along the way he’s racked up a number of celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, 50 Cent and Pauly D from Jersey Shore (he kind of counts as a celebrity).

Now, Brian Wilson and Cody Ross.

What’s cooler than just appearing in his video and giving this brave young man who’s suffering from a rare condition a thrill? Hosting a game against the Marlins on May 25 that will raise money for Keenan to fight his growing medical bills.

Keenan’s condition is called Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome. The disease stunts growth, being the reason why Keenan is 16, but doesn’t look much older than 8. Along with the disease(which affects roughly 1,100 people a year) are the cost of prescription drugs which help to extend life, but can cost upwards of $350, 000 a year. 

Athletes who get the fact that they are blessed with the opportunity to help and then do so? That’s my favorite thing. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Watching Chris Rock on David Letterman, I’m reminded of why most of his movies suck.

It’s because Chris Rock has no freedom in movies.

Watching him last night on Letterman riffing on how the Mets are so broke (Rock says,  “Some teams have Bat Day; we have bring a bat day.”) reminds me of how funny he can be when he’s given the room to work.

Plus, most movies have a hard time capturing Chris Rock in that whiny/angry state where he’s at his best.

However, the Mets are not really a laughing matter. Sure, we poke fun at them because they have giving out so many overpriced contracts that even I am currently working for one year for $18 million.

Of course the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff pulled on so many is no laughing matter, unless it’s the Mets.

The Mets open themselves up for comedy because they are little brother to the Yankees, and no matter how much they try and outshine their big brother, they can’t.

It’s like if Brad Pitt had a brother Chadd Pitt (and he’d definitely spell it with two d’s) and Chadd decided his one goal in life was to outshine his brother as an actor, but his greatest achievement was directing community theater in Boise, Idaho where he wins a Spudd award (also with two d’s so how fitting) and ends up having a shake at the local Dairy Queen named after him.

Not a bad life, but just a pale comparison.

Those are the Mets, and to dig themselves out of the hole, they have to figure out how to get back in the black. Not easy to do when they are committed to high payrolls for years.

But with promotions like “Bring a Bat Day,” they can start closing the gap.

We know Chris Rock will be there. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Welcome to the moment baseball fans have been waiting for. The trial of Barry Bonds is underway and there is plenty going on.

Bonds, one of the most polarizing figures in baseball over the last century is also now the face of the Steriod Era.

Like it or not, it’s the hat he wears and the government is trying to determine if Bonds is guilty of perjury when it comes to testimony he gave involving performance enhancing drugs.

As expected, there are thousands of media outlets covering this trial and Bleacher Report is keeping tabs on all of them.

Instead of scouring the Internet looking for information, we are going to bring you up to speed on everything that has gone on in the last couple of days.

We’ll let you know what the experts are saying and what the trial looks like for Bonds.

We are witnesses is something historic in baseball, even if it’s given the sport a black eye. You stay right here and we are going to get you all caught up on everything Bonds. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As baseball’s opening day approaches teams are sizing up their division chances. Spring brings excitement to every team. Even those teams whose chances look bleak have the potential to catch lightning in a bottle and make this season memorable.

For every team, it will take more than dumb luck to reach the postseason. They’ll need to play from their strengths and hope that there weaknesses can be covered or muted by breakout stars or exceptional play. So here’s a look at each teams strengths and their glaring weaknesses and what it means to each team. 

Begin Slideshow

With spring training in full bloom, it’s never too early to start thinking ahead. For all the promise teams show at this stage of the game, there is always the possibility of finishing below expectations. When that happens, there will be plenty of teams trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Whether that’s taking care of their economic safety or trying to put the pieces in place to build for the future, changes will be made.

The biggest chip most teams have is their staff ace. There is no bigger commodity in baseball than a pitcher with experience, promise or a balanced combination of both. So when things go south for a team, or a glaring need arises elsewhere, a team might be forced to part with their most proven arm.

The good news is that wherever an ace is available, interested parties aren’t far away. So here’s a look at the 10 staff aces most likely to be traded this season. 

Begin Slideshow

The St. Louis Cardinals were dealt a big blow when they learned that 20-game winner Adam Wainwright could miss the season with an elbow injury.

The last thing a team with playoff hopes wants to hear is that their top-of-the-rotation pitcher is lost before the season even begins.

What this does is turn the Cardinals’ attention to finding a replacement.

While the Cardinals say they won’t be looking for a replacement outside the organization, they have to at least consider it. Even if they can’t get someone who is equal to the value of Wainwright, they can at least take a stab at getting someone who can either help them for the future, or just eat enough innings to matter.

The truth is that there are some trades to be made if the Cardinals are willing to do it and these are the 10 trades they could look to for a player to replace their 20-game winner. 

Begin Slideshow

“Athlete” and “in shape” are often thought of as going together. It’s part of the requirement, right?

You can’t be one without the other.

Unless, of course, you are a major league baseball player. Then being fat is okay.

Maybe it’s part of the appeal millions of Americans still have to what was once the national pastime, but baseball is a sport that can be played by the short or tall, fast or slow and in-shape or out of shape.

However, some players have taken the inherent advantage of being able to coast to a whole other level. There are some diamond stars that believe it’s not just about what you do on the field, but how much you can eat off of it.

Maybe it’s the constant travel, or the need to unwind before and after the games, but these 25 players could use a little more time at the gym.

Begin Slideshow

While Adrian Beltre is the last big name free agent off the market, that doesn’t mean all the talent is gone. There are still a good number of players on the market that could help a team this season. As it stands now, teams are scrambling to try and address their needs before the available talent pool has dried up.

Some teams will get healthier than others, other teams will suddenly have more to spend, and it could lead to some players in some interesting places. Here is a look at some of the latest rumors involving potential baseball free agent signings. 

Begin Slideshow