This year on the MDA telethon:  Dusty Baker singing "You'll never walk again."  

When you get up to bat,
Hold your hands up high,
And don't be afraid just to swing.
Ninety feet away is a tallish guy
And to get to his base is the thing.
See the ball coming in,
Hit the ball going out,
Though the pitch be fast or slow.
Swing early, swing often,
With hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk again.
You'll NEVER walk again.

Iowa Cubs

Their last game is today (Monday).  Last night, they dropped a tough one to Omaha, 2-1.  Former Cub bust Richard Lewis drove in the Royals' winning run in the 10th inning.  Jake Fox had a single and double, and Josh Kroeger had the lone RBI.  Randy Wells struck out seven in five scoreless innings, Carmen Pignatiello then gave up a run, Neil Cotts was strong for 2.2 innings, and finally Ben Howard gave up the winning run on two hits and a wild pitch.  Iowa is 79-64 on the year.  

tharr, you can order a Josh Kroeger game-worn retro jersey for $225.  Order now!  I was thinking about the Clay Rapada (oops, traded) or Scott Moore (oh yeah, him too) or Buck Coats (darn!) or Rocky Cherry (#@&^%!).  Apparently somebody grabbed the Matt Murton one already, so there won't be a debate about that (please?).  

Tennessee Smokies

Justin Berg struggled, partly due to his own error and one by the second baseman, and the Smokies dropped a tough one to the Mudcats, 6-5.  Other than Chris Robinson and Jemel Spearman, the Tennessee offense couldn't get much going.  This loss, and Huntsville's win, meant Huntsville earned at least a tie for the second half division championship.  The Smokies have three games remaining, the last two against Huntsville, and are 2.5 games back.  

Daytona Cubs

Had a double-header cancelled.  Rain and the end of the season were the reason.  Look for Josh's wrap at the end of the season.  The team finished 57-80, in last place in their division.  

Peoria Chiefs

Ryno seems to be giving each pitcher a few innings to wrap up the year.  Nothing much to note in a 6-4 loss.  They have one game left.  Can't believe I didn't make it to Peoria to see my hero, Sandberg, manage a game this season.  I was just too caught up in going to Wrigley, I guess.  

Boise Hawks

Three games left for the Hawks.  Tony Thomas had three singles in the leadoff spot, but it was cleanup hitter Josh Donaldson who scored three times, leading Boise to a 5-4 victory.  Simon Lee, the Korean FA, couldn't get anybody out in the fourth, but starter Dustin Sasser, Audy Santana, Marcus Hatley, and Shawn Muller all pitched effectively in their short stints.  Josh Vitters had the day off.