Isn't it weird how, when your team falls out of the pennant race, you naturally gravitate to other clubs?

Personally, I have no reason to root for the Minnesota Twins. I have no family from Minnesota, never been there, and don't have any ties to any players on the team.

But I'm giddy with this AL Central race. After winning the first of the double-dip today, the Twins are somehow within a game of the Tigers despite a pitching staff that I'm fairly certain has a bet to see who can have the highest ERA without being taken out of the rotation.

Even at this point, I'm only giving them a 20 percent chance of making the postseason. But if they do, I'm naming my first born child Cuddyer.

Are you excited about college football? - Henson, Dearborn, Mich.

Sure. College football is fun, I guess. I'd like it even more if we had fantasy college football.

A few thoughts as I sit here and watch Boise State beat up Oregon:

- Why doesn't Chris Pedersen have a job at a top-tier football school?

I'm teling you. Pay me $1 million a year to be a GM and I guarantee I won't mess up a baseball team this badly:

Step one: Trade for a terrific pitcher, but one that won't play for you this season. Instead, pay him a bunch of money to sit on the bench and go to rehab. Furthermore, keep the same trade offer on the table for months after it was originally nixed, even if the injury and the other team's desparation gives you all the leverage. It's all about being fair in this league.

Step two: Trade a potential starting first baseman/DH for a middle reliever. Those high-celing potential guys never work out, anyways.

Step three: Find a player that is due to be paid $552 million in the next 23 years and claim him off waivers. Don't actually trade for him before the deadline, because then you'd have leverage to make the other team pay some of his salary. No, take it all and then put that average player with the awful contract in the middle of your lineup. At least you didn't have to give up a 27-year-old Double-A prospect in the deal.

Step four: Not even one month later, toss in the towel. Give away all your top players for cents on the dollar.

Kenny Williams and the Chicago White Sox, I salute you.

As has been documented several times around these parts, I am in love with Streak for the Cash.

I'm sad to report we had our first fight today.

With a streak of six heading into Usain Bolt's 200-meter run at the World Championships, the prop on the board was whether he would run the race faster or slower than 19.69 seconds.

Easy, I thought. I'll take faster.

I've been reading varying opinions about the American League MVP debate recently, and frankly, I'm stunned.

How can there be any varying opinions this season? Let me spell this out for everyone: Despite missing the first month of the season, Minnesota's Joe Mauer is hitting .378 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs. His OPS is 1.095, an astronomical number. And did I mention he plays catcher, the toughest position in baseball?

For some reason, this isn't a no-brainer to some people. And when I say 'some people', I mean dim-witted New Yorkers.

First off, let me preface the question posed in the headline. Knee jerk reactions are easy for sportswriters because their opinions are rarely brought up again years down the road. Compare that to general managers, who will be vilified for their decisions because they are constantly in the public eye. Furthermore, hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy for journalists now to blast the Expos for trading Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips to Cleveland for Bartolo Colon.

But still, is it time to give a sportswriter a try in the front office? It has partially happened. Noted baseball stat-man Bill James gives advice to the Boston Red Sox, who are run by stat-boy Theo Epstein.

With this in mind, would it work elsewhere?

Take Kansas City, for example, and respected Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski.

Alfonso Soriano's slow-mo, 'in-yo-face' trot around the bases after hitting a walk-off grand slam will probably result in a bean-ball tonight, I'm guessing. Why is celebrating, um, celebrated in basketball, football, hockey and soccer, but frowned upon in baseball? - Rufus Wheeler Peckham

Was this question sent in eight days ago? Yes. Is the first part no longer timely, since that game has long since played out? Yes. Will I answer the second part anyways? Yes.

I've thought about it, and I really don't think these over-the-top celebration antics are any more accepted in the other major sports. But in basketball, football and the like, there is enough individual contact to get payback discreetly.

A sly forearm shiver here, a kidney punch there, and celebraters get their due.

What would Babe Ruth's stats look like if he played during the steroid era? And, is there any other male on the planet that can have the name 'Babe' and not get made fun of? - Rico, Vancouver, B.C.

Usually I could just put this into the steroid conversion formula and come up with an answer, but Ruth is an interesting case. By all accounts, he was an overweight partier who very well could have been hung over for roughly 37 percent of his big league games.

Despite all this, he finished his career with a .342 batting average and an OPS of 1.164, which is the major league record for a career.

He is unquestionably the best player in baseball history on pure talent alone.

But if he was on the juice, with the same work ethic as the modern day superstars?

Lots to choose from this week. Big shout out to everyone who came out.

We're going with Rufus' input on what All-Star event he would take part in: If I were Albert Pujols, I would hit one out of the park one-handed, or lefty, or something. Something exciting for the kids. As far as the dunk contest: let's just say fire and an open pool of noxious, flammable chemicals would be involved and leave it at that, so as to spare ruining the surprise for everyone when I'm invited. RTJ has that kind of sway on the commissioner's office, right?