If it weren't for bad luck

I love baseball, but its a long season and it takes me a little while to really get into it.

It doesn't help when your favorite team is struggling in last place.

Injuries have really hurt the Bronx Bombers, mostly in their pitching staff.

Injuries are part of the game and the Yankees stepped up last season when they also lost some star players.

Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and now their up and coming star Phil Hughes.

Hughes had a no-hitter going through 6 1/3 innings against Texas on Monday and had to leave with an injured left hamstring.

That hurts in many different ways.

I know many won't shed a tear for the team with 26 World Championships and the highest payroll in baseball.

If the season ended today they wouldn't make the playoffs and the scientific community is united in that fact.

My second favorite team, the reigning World Champion St. Louis Cardinals are also mired in last place.

Sadly, they are struggling with the death of another player.

Pitcher Josh Hancock was killed in an auto accident Sunday, almost five years after pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room.

The Cardinals were playing the Chicago Cubs both times.

It would make me leery to face the Cubs again, especially if I were a Cardinals pitcher.