I have a great idea. But when I fill you in on it, you’re going to think I’m crazy.

But it’s so crazy that it makes perfect sense.

I recently covered a college baseball game at Fenway Park, where one of the pitchers had a no-hitter going heading into the ninth inning. The pitcher lost the no-hit bid before he could register an out, but it got me thinking.

If you have one out in the ninth inning and a no-hitter going…you should purposely walk the next batter.

I’ll admit, that wouldn’t be pretty. But think about it: Instead of having to make two pitches to get the two outs you need, you can obtain the no-hitter with just one pitch.

If you don’t walk the batter, you need to get two different hitters out. If you walk him, you can escape with just one pitch and one batter on a game-ending double play ball.

Now, one obvious stipulation needs to be made here. NEVER do that if the game is close. I’d say a lead of five runs or more would need to be in effect.

OK, maybe two stipulations. Don’t do it unless you are prepared to be blasted by your coaches, teammates and the media. That, and being labeled as a selfish jerk by just about everybody.

I know it’s not going to happen, and no pitcher is likely to ever try such a thing.

Unless they are crazy like a fox, that is.

From now on when Jon Lester pitches, I’m muting the announcer and listening to Harry Doyle’s play-by-play from “Major League” when the Wild Thing pitched.

“Ball four, ball eight, ball 12.”

Lester may actually have less command than Rick Vaughn had in that movie.

Disclaimer: Before I start unloading on Lester as a pitcher, I want to make it clear that I root for him every time out on the mound — and that comes despite my massive dislike (OK, hatred) for the Boston Red Sox. He’s an inspiration (for those who don’t know, read here) and I want nothing but the best for him on and off the field.

This is strictly about his performance ON the field; nothing else.

Now…

Two things: First, I don’t care how much talent he has or how great his stuff is. If you can’t throw a strike, none of that matters. And second, Lester is 24-years-old already. Yes, he can get better, but at what age does this guy have to be, before people stop clinging to his once “top prospect” status and realize what he really is…

And that’s a below-average pitcher.

Lester has started the season poorly. His statistics in four starts so far: 1-2,  20.1 IP, 18 H, 15 BB, 10 K, 5.31 ERA, 1.62 WHIP.

I don’t care that it’s early. We’ve seen this junk from him for a few years now.

In 2007: 31 walks in 63 innings (4.57 ERA)
in 2006: 43 walks in 81.1 innings (4.76 ERA)

Career ERA: 4.76
Career walks: 89 in 164.2 innings
Career batting average against: .284
Career on-base percentage against: .375
Career record: 12-4 (don’t ask me how)

Check out the following chart from his four starts this season:

start #	innings	walks	pitches	strikes	balls
1	4	3	83	47	36
2	6.2	3	94	53	41
3	5.1	4	97	60	37
4	4.1	5	97	55	42
TOTALS	20.1	15	371	215	156

Even when Lester pitches fairly well and limits his walks, he is so uneconomical with his pitches, which drives up pitch counts and knocks him out of games early. He’s usually getting roughed up, which taxes the bullpen — but this happens anyways when he pitches OK because he can almost NEVER make it to the seventh inning.

He could have a no-hitter going, and STILL probably be unable to make it into the ninth for a complete game.

The Red Sox don’t need him to be an ace. They have Josh Beckett for that. But this team needs him to at least contribute some innings and keep them in ballgames.

He needs to throw strikes for once in order to do so.

Here’s to hoping that he does.

In case you didn’t notice, there was serious young talent on the mound Sunday across Major League Baseball.

Some dazzled. Others, not so much.

Between Johnny Cueto, Phil Hughes, Chad Billingsley, Tim Lincecum, Francisco Liriano and Jeff Niemann yesterday, there were 37 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work. I expected as much coming into the day, just as I had pontificated that these guys would struggle with pitch counts and head for the showers early.

I was right. Not one of them pitched into the seventh inning.

Hughes faired the worst, allowing nine baserunners and seven runs (six earned) in just two innings of work.He threw 65 pitches (only 30 strikes, ouch) in two innings, not exactly economical. Needless to say, the Yanks fell to Boston.

And the next worst start belonged to Liriano, who couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning. He allowed 11 baserunners (six hits, five walks) and four runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched. He threw 90 pitches. It was his first start of the year (he lost to Kansas City) but that start was not all that encouraging.

Perhaps the most intriguing story right now on all of baseball, Cueto, had six strikeouts to one walk in six innings vs. Pittsburgh. That means he now has 24 strikeouts and one walk this season: not a bad way to start your career. However, he allowed two home runs and five earned in six innings. I’ll cut him a break, though with that K/BB ratio.

Just like those other three guys, Billingsley drew the loss for the Dodgers. He certainly didn’t deserve it with eight K’s and just one run allowed, but he only made it through five innings because of his high pitch count (90). He’s had a rough start to the season (0-2, 5.59 ERA) but that start was a good sign.

The day wasn’t a total lost cause, though, as Niemann won his ML debut against Baltimore, pitching six innings of one–run ball. He walked just one and struck out six. This kid is going to be a big part (and not just because he’s 6-foot-9, 280-pounds) of the future for this team, which many people believe will be good in a few years (for once).

But the best start of the day by the youngsters was hurled by Lincecum. His 11 strikeouts in six innings proves that. Full line: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 11 K. He got the ‘W’ vs. St. Louis. To me, he is the most fun pitcher to watch in all of baseball, with apologies to guys like Joba Chamberlain, Felix Hernandez, Johan Santana, Jonathan Papelbon and I’m sure some other guys I’m forgetting.

People do a lot of talking and fawning over the young talent in baseball, and rightfully so. I do it all the time. But the old guys, who are still getting it done, get lost in the shuffle.

They may call Hernandez “King Felix” but the true master of the mound is still an old-timer that turns 42 on Monday.

Check it out for yourself.

These kids could learn a thing or two from this guy.

The one thing that excites fans of perennially sub-par teams the most is the allure of the future; the stud-prospects.

Judging by some of the pitchers starting tomorrow, it looks like the future is now for many of those teams (clearly I know two of these team’s near future looks quite promising). Seriously, check out some of the probable starters for Sunday…

• Johnny Cueto (CIN) vs. Pittsburgh
• Jeff Niemann (TB) vs. Baltimore
• Francisco Liriano (MIN) vs. Kansas City
• Tim Lincecum (SF) vs. St. Louis
• Phil Hughes (NYY) vs. Boston
• Chad Billingsley (LAD) vs. San Diego

I don’t know how these guys will do, but I do know two things: These young guns will combine for a serious amount of strikeouts and the fans of those teams will be watching intently.

I’m not a fan of any of those teams, but I’ll sure as heck be watching too.

We all knew that the San Francisco Giants would struggle this season.

Considering who plays regularly on offense for them, a ‘struggle’ is probably an understatement.

But seriously, Matt Cain needs a hug. And a little bit of run support, for crying out loud.

Before I get into what happened to him last season in this department — which is truly remarkable — let’s take a look at his three starts so far in 2008.

• Start 1: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K (vs. Los Angeles Dodgers)

So he exited in the sixth inning, not having allowed a run. Must have gotten the win, right? Come on…no way they didn’t score a single run for him, not again. Yes, again. Congrats, Matt, a no-decision.

• Start 2: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 ER), 5 BB, 5 K (vs. San Diego Padres)

Cain lost this one. And he deserved to with all of those walks and inefficiency, leading to an early exit. It would have been nice to ask for SF to score five runs and bail him out, but that’s clearly asking way too much. He can’t even get ONE run, let alone five.

• Start 3: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K (vs. St. Louis Cardinals)

This one epitomizes his luck perfectly.

With a no-hitter going after six innings, Cain and the Giants STILL didn’t have a lead. The score was 0-0 in the bottom of the inning, when Cain decided he had to be the one to do something about it.

So he clubbed a home run to lead of the BTM of the 6th. Incredibly, the others in the lineup decided to help out, and the Giants all-of-the-sudden led 5-0 after six complete.

Yeah, but.

You know what’s coming.

The Giants gave all five runs back, and most of it wasn’t Cain’s fault. He only allowed two of them (Pujols broke up his no-no to lead of the 7th). Another no-decision for Matt.

His line this season: 0 wins, 1 loss, 3.24 ERA, 15 K in 16.2 IP

And more home runs than wins.

You know what, I’m not even going to talk about what it was like for Cain last season.

I think you get the picture.

Nothing is better than being a sports fan in the month of April.

Sure, no more March Madness — and shameless plug alert…no more NIT — is a real bummer, but there is still so much going on and more to look forward to.

I don’t particularly like hockey, but the NHL playoffs can be exciting, especially with phenoms Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin headlining the chase for the Stanley Cup. The basketball playoffs, even though they last like 10 months long, are going to be riveting this season. I know the Eastern Conference (or Leastern, as many on ESPN refer to it as) will be fun. The West is going to be an absolute free-for-all.

And of course we have the Masters. The best tournament in golf.

All of this is wonderful. But to me, it pales in comparison to baseball. I know the season is still so young, but this is still America’s pastime. Football is great, but baseball is still king.

I can’t wait to see how the Western Conference plays out, can’t wait to see who wins the Masters and can’t wait to see how many goals Ovechkin scores.

But I really can’t wait to see more of THIS guy, THIS guy and THIS guy.

At the ripe old age of 20, all Justin Upton is doing right now is a line of: .415 AVG, 5 HR and 11 RBIs. That simply isn’t fair. At that age (which was just two years ago) I was trying to hit home runs out of my old high school baseball field and couldn’t even do it ONCE. I played baseball for about 15 years and couldn’t do it. And the pitcher just lobbed them in.

This kid is doing it against the best in the world. He can’t even drink a beer legally. We are witnessing something truly special with this kid.

Speaking of kids, how about Johnny Cueto?

How about these two starts, the first two of his career:

• 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 10 K (win against ARI)
• 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K (ND vs. MIL)

I think an 18-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio is pretty good.

And to do that against two solid hitting teams is pretty special. I think getting MLB.tv is worth it just to watch this kid deal.

Unfortunately, this year we don’t have any epic Cincinnati Reds vs. Tampa Bay Rays matchups. So no Cueto vs. Evan Longoria battles at the plate.

But with yesterday’s news that Longoria was called up by the Rays, we do get to see him in the Big Leagues for the first time.

With these three guys now up in the Show, May-October may not be soo bad, either.

I have never used this space to plug another blog (other than my own, of course) but I will do so now.

Whether you are a Yankees fan or not (for the record, I’m not a Red Sox nor Yankees supporter), I highly encourage you to check out the Heartland Pinstripes blog. The great thing about this particular blog is that the author does a great job at engaging the reader and striking up a conversation/debate/dialogue. That’s what a blog is supposed to be.

One interesting thing on his blog is a list of about 20 baseball books he likes and recommends. On the very bottom of that list is a book about Sandy Koufax by Jane Leavy.

I’m guessing the order of that list is random, but if you ask me, that book belongs at the very top — as the best baseball book I have ever read.

The book is titled, ‘Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy,’ and is so well-written and structured by Leavy. The chapters alternate between a biography of Koufax and each inning of his perfect game against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965 at Dodger Stadium.

The final chapter, the ninth inning of the perfect game, gives you goosebumps. You know exactly what is going to happen, and the author still presents it to the reader in such a compelling way that you can’t help but get them.

I highly suggest you read it if you haven’t already.

For those who’ve read it, what did you think of it?

Anyone have any other nominations for the best baseball book out there? Let’s talk about it.