Hancock's father files suit against restaurant  —  ST. LOUIS — The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.

Buchholz and the other guy  —  Just getting on a plane for Boston, but wanted to get a few things in:  — Clay Buchholz is good.  It was one thing to hit 95 mph, but to drop the hammer of a curve he has developed was impressive.  A huge positive was that he throws all four pitches (fastball, curve, slider, change) for strikes.

Batter Versus Pitcher, Gameday Style  —  "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."  —Lewis Carroll (1832 - 1898), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, said by the King to the White Rabbit  —  There's no doubt that baseball provides a vast number of avenues for the fan who wants to sift through data.

Braves' Smoltz gets 200th win, tops Mets  —  ATLANTA (AP) — For only the second time in a regular-season game, John Smoltz sensed an extra excitement that normally only comes in the postseason.  —  "Euphoria," Smoltz said.  —  For baseball's all-time leader in postseason wins, the added edge made him feel right at home.

Stark: "The Stark Truth"  —  Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from "The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History" by Jayson Stark.  Copyright (c) 2007 by the author.  This excerpt has been printed with the permission of Triumph Books.

Redlegs-Leatherpants 5.24  —  My sources tell me Gary Majewski is in the building.  I've heard rumblings about which pitcher named after a beverage has been sent down, but have not confirmed that yet.  You know I will as soon as I get it.  —  Freel cf  —  Gonzalez ss  —  Griffey rf

Injury may put Fogg on DL  —  Phoenix - His leg felt better, but Josh Fogg's chances of making Sunday's start didn't improve.  —  Fogg, out with a strained left groin, hopes to pitch in a week, but might land on the disabled list if the bullpen gets taxed and requires a fresh arm over the weekend.

YANKS RIDE DANDY ANDY  —  HIDEKI BLAST, PETTITTE PROWESS BAFFLE BOSOX  —  When the Yankees signed Andy Pettitte, they believed he had the stomach and arm to win big games.  What the Yankees didn't know was they would ask Pettitte to pitch in the biggest game of the year toward the end of May.

With a New Sock, the Red Sox Add Some Distance  —  In 2004 Curt Schilling's bloodied socks — the ones he wore that October while he conquered the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals on the way to Boston's first World Series championship in 86 seasons — were the symbol of the Red Sox.

The Value of the Stolen Base: A Comparison of MLB and NCAA Division I Baseball  —  Over the years there has been a great deal of debate amongst baseball insiders and fans over the value of the stolen base.  Some, such as longtime Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, have argued that the stolen base is rarely worth the risk.

Nutting pledges to upgrade Dominican facility  —  Pirates' owner, GM return from trip upbeat about future there  —  ST. LOUIS — Bob Nutting, the Pirates' principal owner, returned from upper management's three-day mission to the Dominican Republic with three significant impressions:

SURE, STEROIDS DON'T WORK  —  Jason Giambi Is The Only Man Who's Honest About Steroids  —  We find it incredibly strange that Jason Giambi is, once again, back at the forefront of the drugs-in-baseball debate.  After all, has there ever been a more effective advertisement for the benefits …

5/23/07 vs. New York  —  Before talking about the game I'd like to make people in Boston aware of an event that's coming up next week to benefit ALS.  —  The annual 100 innings for ALS marathon game is being played on May 26th and 27th at Adams Field in Quincy, Mass. Check out www.100innings.com for details on how to get involved.

All Good Things...  The time has come to end this wonderful adventure.  I had hoped to be able to keep it up with Dash, but I simply do not have time to do this blog well, and there is no point in doing it any other way.  —  In the three years since Goober said, "Hey, why don't you start a Twins blog?"