I Was Wrong
In January, I declared that the Phillies fleeced the World Champs by dumping injury-riddled Jim Thome and his huge contract on the White Sox for centerfielder Aaron Rowand. While Rowand has performed about as well as expected, a healthy Thome has returned to the form that made him one of the game's most feared hitters. You have to give credit to White Sox GM Ken Williams for making such a bold, risky move right after winning the World Series. Thanks mainly to that trade, the Sox may again be the team to beat in the AL.

Wrong Again
On June 6, I wrote, "As much as people in the Upper Midwest hate to admit it, the Minnesota Twins' five-year run as contenders is over." Despite cooling off against Kansas City and Texas, the team has been on a tear. While they are still looking up in the standings at both the Tigers and White Sox, Minnesota's remarkable turnaround took them from 8 games under .500 to 11 games over at one point. It remains to be seen if the young Twins will be serious contenders in the second half, but one thing is for sure -- they will be fun to watch for years to come.

Rickey Watch
Rickey Henderson's always-willing mug was splashed across the TV airwaves several times a few weeks ago during the Yankees/Mets Interleague series. The future Hall of Famer was seen in the stands chatting away with Mets GM Omar Minaya, which fueled speculation that the all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored has finally retired. According to The Nevada Appeal, however, Henderson is considering a return to the Golden Baseball League, where he suited up for the San Diego Surf Dawgs in 2005. The paper claimed the Chico Outlaws and Reno Silver Sox were the main contestants in the Rickey sweepstakes. Apparently Henderson, who has been out of the majors since 2003, is still under the impression that a big league team could come calling. We love you Rickey, but don't wait by the phone.