A few items to peruse while we both agree, the best thing to happen to you, is the best that happened to me ... 

• Dusty "Mr. Clogging Up the Basepaths" Baker already has quite a bad reputation with baseball's SABR community and I can't help that this little tidbit from Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News is going to help any.

"As Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker talked to the media after Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Houston Astros, a member of the media relations department laid a copy of the stat pack on his desk — a box score, play-by-play and up-to-date statistics. Without looking at it, Baker wadded it into the size of an official baseball and fired it hard into his trash basket."

It's times like these that really make you wish Fire Joe Morgan were still around, isn't it? Just embrace the statistics already, Dusty, for they hold your salvation. [The Real McCoy]

• A year after BLS made The Barry Bonds Job Watch a national phenomenon, Jason Whitlock uses his one baseball column of the year to suggest that the Royals bite the bullet and bring the Home Run King out of retirement. [Kansas City Star]

• Forbes.com inches further away from business reporting and closer to becoming a full-time Stew competitor with "Baseball's Most Intense Rivalries." Biggest head scratcher? Athletics-White Sox cracking the list's top 10. [Forbes.com]

• Twitter may have ruined an appearance by his teammate Brian Wilson, but will the social networking tool save the career of Barry Zito? [Rumors and Rants] 

• This is just a hunch, but I'm guess that Mets fans didn't want to describe any losses as "Heilmanesque" this season. [Amazin' Avenue]

Day Baseball! Marlins at Mets 1:10 Johan Santana (3-1) goes for the 'Ropolitans this afternoon, so all might be well near LaGuardia. The Fish are responsible for Santana's lone loss this season, though, and some of that minuscule 0.70 ERA. 

Day Baseball! Pirates at Brewers 1:05 ET Pittsburgh hasn't won at Miller Park since May 3, 2007, a drought that has reached an unthinkable 17 games. Interesting pitching matchup as Ian Snell faces off against Yovani Gallardo. We're still waiting for that Ryan Braun retribution, though.

• On the heels of their smash hit "Boo Teixeira," The Boooog Pows! have released a more serious b-side entitled "Birdland." This really marks a major move for the band, as it sounds like they're attempting to be seen as more than just a harmonic fan band with the usual pop sensibilities. What do you think? [The Toy Department]

•  Day Baseball! Angels at Orioles, 12:35 Speaking of Birdland, it's featuring a matinee between two last-place teams today. But after not winning consecutive games over the season's first three weeks, the Halos now have a chance to go for three straight.

• Day Baseball! Cubs at D'Backs, 3:40 Ryan Dempster will take his scary 4.88 ERA and place it against Doug Davis' 1-3 record. Last to shudder wins.

• Day Baseball! Mariners at White Sox, 2:10 Is Thursday the day we start to see all the national stories about the resurrection of Erik Bedard? He's 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA.

• Day Baseball! Padres at Rockies, 3:10 If you tune into this one on MLB.TV, you're either a true baseball fan or have a son who plays for one of the two teams. 

• MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian apologizes both over the Internet and during MLB Tonight for his ill-advised Donovan McNabb joke during Brad Hawpe's injury. [Biz of Baseball]

Stew's Super Swag! Just in time for Miller Park tailgating season, loyal Stewie Z.B. Tarrarel sends me this t-shirt from his new 2009 line of Milwaukee-themed shirts. The tee features the logo from "Stormin' and Vuke's," the legendary but now-defunct Milwaukee bar that used to be owned by Gorman Thomas and Pete Vuckovich. And the back? Well, the back contains about the sweetest logo I've ever seen. Make sure to check out Z.B.'s entire line, lest you be the odd man out in the parking lot this summer. [Tarrarel & Sons]