Kazmir Awful in Chicago, Cliff Lee Trade Requirements. Halolinks.

Quentin's bat, glove punch out the Angels - CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Thanks to Carlos Quentin putting on a show with his glove and with two home runs, the Sox manhandled the Los Angeles Angels 9-2 in front of a sold-out crowd Monday night at The Cell. Quentin set the stage for the evening's events in the first inning. With two outs and Howard Kendrick in scoring position, Torii Hunter drove a ball to right field. Quentin dove to his left on a sprint to pull the ball in as he landed on the warning track. Definitely Web-Gem material. (here's the video: Quentin makes a diving grab on the track - Carlos Quentin makes a diving grab on the warning track to rob Torii Hunter of a hit) ''It hurt quite a bit,'' Quentin said. ''That was one of the more painful ones. But I was just happy to keep them from scoring a run in the first inning. It sets the tone. From there, Gavin [Floyd] was great.''

I wonder if its true, does a good first inning highlight play set the tone for the rest of the game? Perhaps, but I'd guess the crappy pitcher on the mound has a bit more to it than a nice catch at the warning track. Speaking of nice catches at the warning track, check out Matsui's grab (also listen for the surprise in Victor Rojas' voice when Matsui makes the catch): Matsui makes a nice catch at the wall - Hideki Matsui tracks A.J. Pierzynski's fly ball and makes a nice catch at the left-field wall. Why didn't this turn the game around?

Angels-White Sox Preview - 7/6/10 - FOX Sports on MSN
Weaver (8-3, 2.82 ERA) appeared to be a strong candidate for the All-Star team, leading the AL with 124 strikeouts and ranking sixth in ERA. He has been one of baseball's top pitchers over the past few weeks, going 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 35 strikeouts in his last four starts.Weaver is 4-0 with a 0.52 ERA in five career starts against Chicago and has given up one run over 19 2-3 innings in winning all three outings at U.S. Cellular Field. Guillen will give the ball to Jake Peavy (7-6, 4.70), who hopes to bounce back from his first defeat in a month. Peavy carried a three-start winning streak and 21-inning scoreless stretch into Wednesday's game at Kansas City. The scoreless streak ended with two outs in the first inning, and the right-hander went on to lose for the first time since June 5 after allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings in a 7-6 defeat. Peavy will be facing the Angels for the first time since getting knocked around for six runs and eight hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss May 20.

Wait a minute. Jered Weaver didn't get selected for the All-star team?

Angels fall apart in 9-2 loss to the White Sox - latimes.com
Yet, there was no spin that could account for what happened to the Angels in the fourth inning of their 9-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field. After White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko struck out and Carlos Quentin walked, Andruw Jones grounded into a double play. Inning over. Except the Angels, having lost track of the outs, remained on the field. For nearly a minute.

They probably didn't believe the inning was over since Kazmir hadn't thrown his 38th pitch of the inning yet.

Have Angels exhausted their 'in-house' options? - The Orange County Register
A week after admitting that "offensive depth" was his team's greatest need with the trade deadline approaching, Angels manager Mike Scioscia sent out a lineup against the Chicago White Sox Monday that featured three players who weren't even on the Angels' 40-man roster to start the season. The starter at third base (Kevin Frandsen) was claimed on waivers from the Boston Red Sox. The starter at first base (Paul McAnulty) had to play his way onto a Double-A roster this spring, dropping 20 pounds in the process. And the starter in right field (Cory Aldridge) played for nine teams in five organizations plus an independent league in the nine years between his first major-league start (Oct. 6, 2001) and his second (Monday in Chicago). That sounds like the lineup of a team that has exhausted its internal options and will have to go outside the organization to get the offensive boost it needs to catch the Texas Rangers in the A.L. West – doesn't it? "No," Scioscia said.

No, the Angels haven't exhausted their internal options yet. There are still a few minor leaguers floating around who have been released by the Red Sox (Frandsen and McAnulty) or have a career MINOR league batting average of .267 (Aldridge) they haven't trotted out on the field yet this season. Although the Angels offense isn't that bad, it is pretty sad when the player who is being counted on to boost the offense is Macier Isturis.

Minnesota Twins may go all out to land Cliff Lee - FOX Sports on MSN
The buzz Monday night, generating from an unconfirmed report on AOL Fanhouse and circulating in the scouting community, was that the Twins offered Hicks, catcher Wilson Ramos and possibly a third, less promising prospect for Lee.Hicks, 19, is not as close to the majors as LaPorta was then, but he is the Twins’ No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America. He's a switch-hitting, five-tool outfielder with the defensive ability to excel at Seattle’s spacious Safeco Field.Ramos, 21, is the Twins’ No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, though he has been slowed by an oblique injury and has only a .563 OPS at Triple-A.

If this is true in regards to the quality of prospects it'd take to land Cliff Lee, the Angels will probably be dealt out of this hand as they lack the depth of quality prospects to get a deal like this done. I wonder what Jarrod Washburn is doing these days?

Umpire loses count, issues three-ball walk - Video MLB.com
Xavier Paul battles Rodrigo Lopez for eight pitches and Bruce Dreckman loses the count and awards a three-ball walk in the second.

Slowly I turn. Step by step...inch by inch...and then suddenly...robots!

Texas Rangers agree to hold auction for team sale - USATODAY.com
The Texas Rangers plan to hold an auction next week for the team's sale in hopes of getting the bankruptcy plan approved, according to a court motion filed Monday. The team, which had a pending sale to a group led by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and Hall of Fame pitcher and team president Nolan Ryan, set a July 16 auction for bidders who meet certain Major League Baseball requirements.

Who's got some extra cash laying around in their Paypal account?

A couple Angel fans decide fists must be used to prove their point - Youtube

One guy says, "Weaver is awesome!" and the other guys yells back, "No, Weaver is FRICKIN' awesome". And then they see who has the bigger gut.

July 6 - BR Bullpen 2
1933 - At Chicago's Comiskey Park, the first ever All-Star Game is played. Babe Ruth's two-run home run helps the American League defeat the Senior Circuit, 4 - 2. John McGraw comes out of retirement to manage the NL.
1936 - After the first batter is thrown out trying to bunt, Bob Feller, a 17-year old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, strikes out 8 consecutive batters in three innings during an All-Star break exhibition game against the Cardinals' Gas House Gang. It is the rookie's first appearance in a major league uniform.
1962 - The Indians regain first place from the Angels, as Ruben Gomez beats Early Wynn and the White Sox 5 - 3.
1989 - Mike Schmidt becomes the first retired player to be elected to start an All-Star Game. The Phillies third baseman, who announced his retirement on May 29, is hitting only .203 this season and decides not to play.
1997 - At Anaheim, Chuck Finley allows four hits and strikes out 13 to lead the Angels to a 8 - 0 shutout over the Mariners. Dave Hollins' fourth inning grand slam is the big blow, while Darin Erstad also homers, the first by a lefty off Jeff Fassero (8-5) in over three years. Tim Salmon also hits a solo homer in the third, his third in three games.

Paging Mr. Slider, Mr. Major League Slider: