Is exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies did with Chase Utley so they could avoid salary arbitration. Utley received a new seven-year agreement for a whopping $85 million. The Phillies not only feel Chase is the best second baseman in the National League, but also one of the top 10-15 players in all of Major League Baseball. Utley hit 32 home runs and had 102 RBI’s along with a batting average of .309 for the 2006 season. Utley is definitely getting a huge pay raise considering he was paid $500,000 last year.

Trevor Hoffman set the all-time save record last night with his 479th save against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hoffman of the San Diego Padres surpassed “The Fireballer” Lee Smith who is still one of my all-time favorite closers based on his days with the Cubs. Hoffman leads the National League in saves this year with 43 saves in 48 chances. Congrats Trevor and let’s shoot for 500 now.

Things continue to look worse and worse for the National League of MLB. It has been a blue moon since the National League won a world series (8 years to be exact…I think) and they were completely ripped to shreds this year in Interleague play. They also had not won an All Star game in the last nine years (they did tie one - LOL) coming into the “game that counts” last night in Pittsburgh. Remember it counts now because the winning League gets home field advantage in the World Series. MLB wouldn’t actually give that to the team with the best record throughout the year would they??? Anyway, it was the ninth inning and Trevor Hoffman had two outs and up 2-1 so things looked great right? Wrong! In a matter of minutes Paul Konerko hit a single, Troy Glaus hit a ground rule double and Michael Young hit a triple and the American League was up 3-2. Then they bring in Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth and it’s a done deal. It is an ugly thing right now for the National League and unless the Mets really step up there is no chance in H#LL that a National League team can win the World Series.