Rough starts for Zito, Nationals, Yankees' pitchers

	Barry Zito lost his first two starts for the Giants and has a 8.18 ERA. AP

Also in this column:
• Poor scheduling by MLB
• Sheffield's new book
• More news and notes

Cheers and jeers, rips and quips from the first week of the season:

• Here's some fun with numbers (unless you're the one writing the checks for the San Francisco Giants, that is): Barry Zito's ERA through two games is 8.18, and if he lowers it by exactly one run, he's got his precise contract -- seven years, $18 million per. The truth is, Zito's never been a quick starter -- he has a career 11-17 record and 5.20 ERA in April. I just wonder whether the Giants, off to a 1-5 start, will still be in it come May.

• The Nationals look as bad as advertised. They are doing the right thing in playing for the future, but this is a little ridiculous. One executive said, "[General manager Jim] Bowden should be ashamed, putting out a crap team like that." That may be a little strong. But they have almost no starting pitching, no pop at the plate and not much defense either. As that executive pointed out, "Manny Acta is 20 times worse off than what everybody thought Joe Girardi was in Florida [last season]." Girardi's the smart one, having turned down a chance to manage the Nationals.

• New Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez exercised some nice strategy on Sunday, replacing Jorge Julio (who was booed off the mound) as the team's closer with 30-year-old journeyman Lee Gardner, who got out of a bases-loaded jam vs. the Phillies with a popout and strikeout, to save his first game.

• This just in: Brad Lidge is changing his last name to Ledge. The once-dominant Houston closer has been hit hard (16.20 ERA) in his first two outings of the season.

• Nice Yankees rotation, huh? For the first time in their history they had no starters last five innings the first time through the rotation. If Mariano Rivera wants to make an impact, he might have to return to his roots as a starting pitcher.

• It's only one game but so far Yankees lefty Kei Igawa looks like he might make an expensive middle reliever. Though I did dig the shades on the mound, he didn't look quite worth $46 million (the $26 million posting price plus the $20 million contract). Through one start Igawa is only fulfilling the promise of one Yankees player, whose assessment of Igawa to me this spring was concise. "Igawa ... [rhymes with ducks]."

• Who'd have thought by this time Carl Pavano would be the healthiest of the Yankees? There's no doubt who's been the best of the Yankees, however. It's the one who's taking all the heat, Alex Rodriguez, the one who may opt out after the year, not necessarily for the extra money now but to go play for a winner. After the week he had, if not for all the booing, you couldn't blame him if he felt like he was back in Texas.

• I'm sticking with my predictions of the Reds and Diamondbacks winning their divisions. I know, I know, it's early. But it's never too early to gloat.

• Ballplayers should leave the predictions to the professional pundits. I can't decide whose bold talk looks more off the mark so far, Jimmy Rollins' remarks or Johnny Damon for saying the Yankees were "the best."

• I understand it was only Kansas City, but I'm already sold on Daisuke Matsuzaka. The pitcher Matsuzaka beat, Zack Greinke, didn't look too bad, either. Greinke performed quite a feat when he struck out David Ortiz three times. The only pitcher to do that last year was Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers, a left-hander.