From last Friday’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer.


A report of an elbow injury to Mariners first-round draft pick Brandon Morrow (above) was exaggerated — deliberately. Only some readers didn’t get it.

“I’m ready to throw right now,” the right-hander told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s time to put these rumors to rest.”

The misunderstanding started when the P-I’s Art Thiel wrote a satirical column in Wednesday’s editions about the Mariners’ history of injury woes with pitching prospects. The column said Morrow injured his elbow answering the telephone and could require “Tommy John” surgery.

“There’s an old saying that satire is the most easily misunderstood writing in the newspaper,” Thiel said. “It’s true.”

Thiel’s column was mentioned on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” show and some Web sites reported on it. Morrow’s voice mail started filling up after the program aired.

“Everyone’s calling,” Morrow told the Chronicle. “Everyone wants to know what’s going on. I don’t know what to tell them, except I’m fine and ready to pitch.”

Your Monday rubber match survivors in the NCAA Division One Baseball tournament ; Miami, Georgia and Rice. The Owls eliminated Oklahoma earlier today, 9-5, despite starting pitcher Craig Crow not making it out of the first inning. Cole St. Clair (above) — usually Rice’s closer — put out the fire and hung around for another 5 innings of long relief.

(Milwaukee’s Bill Hall, robbing Cincinnati’s Ryan Freel of a certain base hit in the 5th inning)
Despite hitting 4 HR’s off Milwaukee’s Zach Jackson, the Reds dropped a 6-5 decision to Milwaukee tonight, their 4th loss in a row at home. Carlos Lee and Prince Fielder each hit solo homers for the Brewers, while Richie Weeks had 3 hits.

Jose Contreras (above) ran his record to 7-0, striking out 11 over 8 innings in the White Sox’s 8-3 defeat of the Rangers. The ever popular Michael Barrett-punching bag A.J. Pierzynski homered off Joaquin Benoit.