Summary of the Day: July 4, 2006

Manny Ramirez has already announced that he will skip the All-Star Game to rest his sore knee. I know he probably needs the rest, but if the game is as important as the commissioner wants it to be, why would players skip out? This is just another example of how the All-Star Game has lost its meaning.

Jose Contreras won his 17th straight decision yesterday. I am a believer that streaks, while they can be impressive, are sometimes overrated. Yes, he has started the season 9-0, but if you look deeper into the numbers, you begin to realize he has been far from a perfect pitcher. In the month of June, he made six starts totaling 37 2/3 innings. In those innings, he had an earned run average of 6.21 and a gave up 1.67 walk and hits per inning. More than two thirds of the earned runs he has allowed this year came in June. Yet, he went 3-0 in those six starts. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, and this is a streak where that is the case.

The Yankees got clobbered by the Indians 19-1 on George Steinbrenner's 76th birthday. It coudl not have happened to a better man. However, I will say this. The crew of Baseball Tonight discussed who they consider the best owner in sports. Mark Cuban is the winner in my mind, but Steinbrenner has to be in the conversation. One thing an owner must have to be considered is passion and commitment towards winning. Steinbrenner definitely has both.