When Toronto Blue Jays pitcher JA Happ was hit in the head by a line drive on Tuesday, RA Dickey said that it sounded “like two bats” hitting each other. Happ immediately fell to the pitcher’s mound, face down, and covering one side of his head with both hands. Eight minutes later he was taken off the field on a stretcher and a total of eleven minutes later, play resumed. Everyone imagined the worst but remarkably, less than 24 hours later he was back at Tropicana Field. Not to play this time, but to talk about how lucky he is.

When Happ first arrived at Tropicana Field, he first met with players from his team as well as Desmond Jennings, who hit the line drive that struck Happ. After assuring everyone that he was feeling fine, he then spoke to reporters.

“I feel really fortunate,” he said. “It looks like I moved just a little bit. I don’t remember doing that, but it looks like it was just enough to where it must have caught me in a better spot, because I think it could have got me head on.”

Speaking about his injuries, he said, “I’ve got some stitches and there’s a fracture in the skull, I suppose, behind my ear, but it’s not serious or threatening. We’ll let those heal.”

The hit is something that’s still weighing heavily on the minds of those around the league, and many are wondering what can be done to prevent something like it happening in the future, and perhaps with more unfortunate results. The league is currently looking at many options, including protective headwear that would absorb impact and protect pitchers’ heads.

Meanwhile, Happ has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, but appears to be doing very well.

It can be one of the most frustrating things about the start of baseball season. You wait all winter to see your team take the field, only to have to sit through a week or more of road games before the home opener finally rolls around.

That’s the predicament that Los Angeles Angels fans find themselves in this year, but the home opener may well live up to the hype when the Oakland Athletics visit Tuesday April, 9.

Last year the American League West was one of the toughest divisions in baseball, with the Athletics, Texas Rangers all notching 89 or more wins. The Angels missed the playoffs at 89-73, though, and will be looking to get off to a strong start in the division this year.

Last year rookie phenomenon Mike Trout was one of the biggest stories in Major League Baseball, hitting 30 home runs and driving in 83 runs while hitting .326 in just 139 games. Trout made dazzling plays in the field as well, en route to the American League Rookie of the Year award.

That’s earned Trout a lot of attention in the offseason, from sports magazines to Gentleman’s Quarterly with plenty of other media attention in between. That and a little extra weight on the way into spring training left room for speculation about a possible sophomore slump.

Thus, all eyes in Los Angeles will be on Trout when he takes the field in the home opener.

The Angels also bring back Albert Pujols, who hit .285 last season with 30 home runs, 105 RBI and 85 runs.

Los Angeles also made a splash in adding Josh Hamilton in the offseason. The slugger hit .285 last year for the Rangers with 43 home runs and 128 RBI, so the Angels lineup will have plenty of pop with Trout, Pujols and Hamilton.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to take in a great day at the ballpark and see Josh Hamilton’s home debut for the Angels. Get your tickets right away so that you can be there when Mike Trout begins his sophomore campaign.

It may have been the second time in three years that the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series, but no one expected them to stand a chance against the Detroit Tigers. Last night, in a game that went to extra innings, that’s just what they did. And in addition to winning the title, they made history time and time again.

It was the first time since 1990 that a National League team has completed a sweep in the World Series; last time it was the Cincinnati Reds. It was also the first time since 1976 that a National League team had won twice in three years; and the Giants are only the fifth team in history to ever to do it. And all from the team that was never supposed to win.

The Giants were no doubt the underdogs in this one; perhaps some of the biggest ever in Major League Baseball. Brian Wilson was out for the year. Melky Cabrera brought nothing but drama (albeit some great hits) that had him out for much of the regular season, and then for the playoffs. And the one card the Giants had left, Tim Lincecum, seemed to struggle during the first half of the game.

But it all came together for them in the end. The 4-3 score may not be impressive for the most enthusiastic baseball fans, but every score was hard fought for. So much so that the game needed one more inning just to make it complete. But that was all the Giants needed to not only go down as World Series champs this year; but to also go down in history.

“When you look at the clubs that we played and having our backs to the wall, it’s pretty remarkable what these guys have done,” said manager Bruce Bochy after the game. “It’s amazing what a club can do when they do play as a team and they’re unselfish and they do whatever they can do to help a club win. That’s what these guys did.”

After the game Pablo Sandoval was name World Series MVP with home runs in each of his first three at bats during Game 1; hitting four RBIs; and batting a .500.

When Felix Hernandez pitched the perfect game yesterday afternoon, it was the first time a perfect game had ever been seen in Mariners‘ history. But, another historical event was also written in the history books — it was the first time in MLB history that three perfect games had been pitched in less than four months. And the fact that it was on the same field that Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox started off the perfect pitch run on April 21.

It was the Seattle Mariners against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday and from the beginning the Mariners didn’t stand a chance. With a fastball that topped out at 95mph, and a curveball that “no human” could hit, according to catcher John Jaso, Fernandez struck 12 of the 27 hitters out; and five of those strikeouts came during the last six at-bats. He threw 113 pitches over all and had a three-ball count on only two of them in total. It might be nothing new for Hernandez, but a perfect game is something he’s worked awfully hard for.

“I don’t have any words to explain this,” Hernandez told Seattle reporters after the game. “When Phil Humber threw the perfect game here, I said “I’ve gotta throw one. I have to. I’ve been working so hard to throw one and there it is. This is pretty crazy. It doesn’t happen every day.”

That it certainly does not. But with the run Major League Baseball is having this year, it’s certainly happening more days than ever before.

Do the San Francisco Giants have the chops to win the win the series?  With four out of six wins, the National League team is setting a good record, but a low confidence score.  Fans are placing Sunday’s loss against the Philadelphia Phillies, square on Giants’ manager, Bruce Bochy’s shoulders.  Something had to give in the twelve-inning game, and ultimately, what gave were the Giants.  Cry the critics, “Bochy doesn’t know how to play small ball.”

The Giants built their reputation on the strength of their pitchers and by being formidable on the home turf, but their troubles began with who was at the bat.  With a runner on third and less than two outs, Bochy placed Brandon Belt at the plate, and instead of belting it, he struck out.  Neither was Emmanuel Burriss, with a season league batting average of 2.91 able to save the game, striking out and leaving Giants’ fans groaning in their seats.  Looking for a home run, instead of a bunt or a fly ball, the Giants rolled the dice…and lost.

The question on everybody’s mind is, after a strong start, will the Giants be able to keep up their lead in the second half of the series?  All eyes are on Nate Schierholz.  While his playing has been erratic, with a lot of downs along with his ups, he managed to score two home runs in the Giants’ twelve inning losing game against the Phillies.  However, Schierholz is a bit disgruntled by Bochy’s apparent reluctance to use him much in the game.  He has hinted that if the Giants are willing to make a trade, he’s interested in a team that will give him a consistent role.  With an unreliable bat, this may be easier said than done.

Not so easy to dismiss are Gregor Blanco and Melky Cabrera.  Batting in their home runs against both Atlantis and Philadelphia, they prove the Giants do have power hitters.  With games looming against the L.A. Dodgers, who have just swept up the New York Mets and tied two to two wins against the Cardinals, it’s the Giants turn to make it or break it.  The Dodgers aren’t going to take the games lying down.  After a slow start, they’re pounding the bases for their fifth straight win.  The Giants have the pitchers, but they also need their batters, because when it comes to the Dodgers, it’s going to be close and exciting.  Get those tickets now, because these are the games you won’t want to miss.