Phil Rogers' MLB whispers

The A's can't believe how well Frank Thomas is running since he joined them last month. He recently delivered his first triple since 2002. "I played with the guy in '06 and I don't think I've seen him beat out a ball, much less go home to third," A's pitcher Chad Gaudin told CBS Sportsline. "He told me a couple of days ago, 'I can run now.' I'm thinking to myself, 'Really, after 15 years, you can run now?' " ... Like the 2007 Cubs, the Braves have started poorly because they haven't been winning close games. And the shaky shoulder of John Smoltz won't make it any easier to recover from a 13-15 start that included an 0-9 mark in one-run games. Predictably, Mike Hampton hit another snag in his supposed comeback attempt just when Bobby Cox was prepared to slot him into Smoltz's spot in the rotation. (link)