Around the horn

> After getting swept in Colorado, the Yankees go back to 10.5 games behind the Red Sox. They are also 5.5 games out of the wild card, with four teams ahead of them.

We're about 10 games before the true mid-point of the season, which basically means this... their start has made June more like July, and July will be more like August.

Finally, there is this: if the White Sox and Royals continue to play .400 ball, it's going to be a lot easier for the Cleveland/Tigers loser to keep a good record. Right now, one of the best things that could happen for the Yankees is for Justin Morneau to come back and make the Twins right again, so the Central starts hurting each other.

> The best team in the AL in June is... those sneaky LAAngles. They are 20 games over .500 for the year, and 14 games over .500 in June, With a big lead over the A's and surprising Mariners, and a resurgent Chone Figgins making their offense right again, the best team you don't hear about now has the second-best record in baseball.

Things could get dicey for them soon, as Barty Colon is still not right and Slingblade Lackey is actually going to miss a turn, but with that offense and bullpen, it's hard to imagine them falling too far back.

> Sosa, Griffey, Thomas and Bonds are all chasing big career home run milestones.

Their teams are 17.5 games out, 13.5 games out, 11.5 games out and 11.5 games out of their divisions, respectively. Only the Jays are near .500. So... how much are these sideshows helping their teams?

> The A's cut Milton Bradley. It comes as no surprise that I'm a big Billy Beane fan, but this is one of those moments that make me happy to be an A's fan -- all around. They rolled the dice to get him. It didn't work out. They have a decent enough farm system to replace him cheaply with Travis Buck. And then they let him go, before it became too much of a distraction, with a relative lack of fuss.

> It's the last weekend for interleague play. What will be your biggest memory of it this year? Yeah, I don't have one either...

> Griffey goes to Seattle and gets applauded. Giambi goes to court and gets immunity. Tejada goes to the DL and gets abuse for trying to keep his streak alive. And the rest of the world wonder what might have been, if only they all decided to stay with their first clubs, where they were successful and comfortable and out of the media spotlight... and where their steroid supplies were discrete. Ah, Karma, you heartless bitch...