Who's Hot - Who's Not

WHO'S HOT

Phoenix
That comeback over the Lakers isn't all. The D-Backs, getting one (Brandon)Webb gem after another, won seven of eight to move near the top of the NL West.And the NFL's Cardinals, set to play in a new stadium in suburban Glendale, arefeeling the love for selecting Matt Leinart (left), selling more than 1,500season tickets since draft day.

Joe Torre
Nice numbers, Skip. The manager won his 1,000th game as a Yankee (one of fourto do so). He also had his star-laden team in first and got props from theBoss: Said George Steinbrenner, "[Joe] knows how to lead."

IlyaBryzgalov
One, two, three straight playoff shutouts for the hard-to-beat,hard-to-pronounce Mighty Ducks goalie (it's brihs-GAH-lahf). After blankingColorado Sunday, the Russian rookie was asked how he felt. "I feelnormal," he said.

Sorianos
Alfonso (right) is quietly (!) flashing power (nine homers) and speed (six SBs)for the Nats, while live-armed Rafael, a closer-in-waiting, has struck out 23in 17 2/3 innings for the Mariners.

WHO'S NOT

Los Angeles
That collapse against the Suns isn't all. The Dodgers were scuffling near thebottom of the NL West, while the AL's Angels (they claim to be from L.A. too,remember?) had lost eight of 10 and strugglers like Casey Kotchman (above,battling mono, batting .158) had them 24th in runs scored. Hitting coach MickeyHatcher: "It's ugly right now."

AllardBaird
Nasty numbers, man. In five-plus years as Royals G.M. he's 375-561. Thatincludes 7-22 this year. His trades have bombed, prospects in his pipeline arefew, and owner David Glass says he's on the verge of a shake-up.

Bob Baffert
One, two, three chances to win the Kentucky Derby, but none of the trainer'sentries finished higher than ninth, and Bob and John (right) slunk in 17th.Observed Baffert, "We weren't going to beat the winner today."

Zambranos
Hard-luck Cubs ace Carlos is winless in seven starts despite leading theNational League in strikeouts. Harder-luck Mets starter Victor is out for theseason with a torn tendon in his pitching elbow.

SI PLAYERS NHL POLL

Which goalie would you want in the net for Game 7 of a playoff series?

Martin Brodeur, .......... Devils 60%
Dominik Hasek, .......... Senators 14%
Roberto Luongo, .......... Panthers 7%
Miikka Kiprusoff, .......... Flames 5%

FAST FACTS
Brodeur had a Game 7 shutout of Anaheim to win the Stanley Cup in 2003; he's5-3 in Game 7s.... Hasek, 41, hasn't played since February because of a groininjury.... Kiprusoff, who had an NHL-best 2.07 goals-against average during theregular season, is one of three finalists for league MVP.... Four othergoalies--Toronto's Ed Belfour, Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin, Dallas's MartyTurco and Phoenix's Curtis Joseph--got more than two votes.

[Based on a survey of 346 NHL players] • For anexpanded version of the poll, go to SI.com/players.

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MIKE MOORE/WIREIMAGE.COM (LEINART)

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RICK SCUTERI/US PRESSWIRE (TORRE)

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TOM DIPACE (SORIANO)

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ELAINE THOMPSON/AP (KOTCHMAN)

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LARRY GOREN/ICON SMI (BAIRD)

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BILL DENVER/ICON SMI (BOB AND JOHN)

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BOB ROSATO (BRODEUR)

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LOU CAPOZZOLA (KIPRUSOFF)