It's time to talk about money.

Have you noticed that in the AL East $43 million just swept $133 million? Lots of folks thought the $43 million would have died out long ago, but guess what?

And have you noticed that in the NL East $21 million has been hot on the heels of $98 million? Lots of folks thought the $21 million would be back down in last place by now. You know, as the Amish say about their corn, "knee high by Fourth of July." But guess what?

And how about $8.5 million now pitching in triple-A? Who would have ever thunk that back in April? He was the Ace. Lots of folks  thought he'd adjust from the closer role, but guess what? And get this: The pitcher the $98 million team could have gotten last January for $4.5 million, a bargain at today's prices, just won his tenth game for the Cardinals. That surprised lots of folks, but not more than it surprised Pat Gillick.

The $8.5 million Ironpig pitcher might not win his 10th game until August. Next August. That's August 2009. Okay, you got it, I hear you. And the pitcher the $98 million team paid $10 million for last season, you know, the one who won just one game? Which surprised lots of folks, is ready to make a come back and guess what? The Mets, Yankees, and Tigers are lining up for him.

He'll most likely sign for another $10 million and go on to win 15 games, which would be quite a feat and surprise most everyone because the season is half over.

How about this little cookie: In the AL East, $209 million is in third place, seven-and-a-half games behind $43 million. If Papa George was still running things, he'd make France's Committee of Public Safety--that's the group that made the guillotine famous back in the revolution--look like a protest on high coffee prices. Which wouldn't surprise anyone. 

The $118 million club out on the West Coast that picked up the $209 million team's manager in the off season and quickly gave him $13 million is four games under .500 but has closed to within a game-and-a-half of the NL West leading $61 million team. Everybody thought the $13 million manager, who won all those championships with the $209 million club, would pick up where he left off. But guess what? 

Now the AL Central leading $121 million team's DH, the one who the $98 million NL East team is paying $22 million of his $85 million contract, is hitting .216 with 16 homers. That's seven dingers shy of the NL East $400,000 second baseman on the $21 million team. Now that suprised a lot of folks.

Now the NL East $98 million team just swept the NL East $102 million team with their $500,000 new Ace nearly getting the shutout. I hope this Ace doesn't end up  where the old Ace is...that would surprise a lot of people.

Anyway the $137 million NL East third place team is coming to town with their $19 million Ace on the mound against the $98 million first place team's minor league call-up who will get the major league minimum of $390,000, a big jump from his current minor league contract.

If the call-up out pitches the $19 million Ace it will surely, you guessed it, surprise a lof of folks.