are in the lead. He is hitting a team-best .310 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs and 107 hits, most in the first half by an As player since Carney Lansfords 118 in 1988. Donaldson is the first As p

John Daly is one of the most colorful, controversial and popular figures in golf history.?Dalys grip it and rip it life is the subject of a new 30 for 30 documentary, Hit it Hard, which is set to debut Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.Its hard not to wonder what Daly could have accomplished on the course if he hadnt had so many problems off it. In this weeks edition of Four-Ball, our panel explores Dalys impact on the sport.1. Do you consider Daly an overachiever or underachiever?SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: Unfortunately, I have to say underachiever. Daly possibly has the most natural talent of any player in the history of the sport; there is no way he could have ever won those huge tournaments without that immense talent. But its frustrating to see someone not maximize his talent over the past 20 years. If he would have taken things more seriously, who knows how many majors or tournaments he could have won.?ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: He is a huge underachiever. Get past all the drama, and Daly was an incredibly skilled player who could not only drive it a long way, but had a surprisingly good short game. Winning two majors as he did showed his talent, but its remarkable to think that Daly has nearly as many missed cuts and withdrawals (249) in his PGA Tour career as he has made cuts (273). Maybe Daly never would have been a prolific winner, but he had the skills to accomplish more.ESPN.com senior golf editor Kevin Maguire: An overachiever. Considering the inner demons Daly had to overcome in his life, albeit many of them self-inflicted, most people would not have had the wherewithal to reach such a high level in sports -- or in life. Winning one major championship can sometimes be a fluke. Winning two solidifies your place in golf history.ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel:?Sorry, but underachievers dont win multiple major championships. I understand the insinuation -- Daly had so much talent that if he played as hard on the course as he did off of it, he couldve achieved so much more. Perhaps, but that notion does a disservice to everything he did accomplish. In his prime, Daly was never the games most consistent player, but you can bet plenty of his peers would love to own his resume. Its not one of an underachiever.2. Which major win was more surprising, the 1991 PGA Championship or 1995 Open Championship?Coachman: No one knew who Daly was in 1991 -- he came out of nowhere as an alternate to pull off possibly the biggest upset in the history of golf. We knew Daly when he won his second major, which was a surprise, but not a monumental surprise.?I dont know if we will ever see something like 1991 again. Just awesome.Harig: The 91 PGA was more surprising, simply given the circumstances behind getting into the field. Few knew who John Daly was when he had to drive overnight to Crooked Stick as an alternate and only got into the field because numerous things occurred -- including Nick Price withdrawing due to the birth of a child. To then go on and win a major championship, without a practice round, is about as farfetched as possible, and yet Daly did it.Maguire: The 91 PGA, but only by the slimmest of margins. Dalys 1995 win at St. Andrews certainly came out of nowhere, but he had at least proved that when his game was on, he could beat the best in the world. Absolutely no one saw that victory as the ninth alternate at Crooked Stick in 1991 coming, and if someone says otherwise, its pure fiction.Sobel:?Easily the first one. As a PGA Tour rookie, Daly was the tournaments ninth alternate, somehow got into the field and won it as a total unknown. If you wrote a movie script like this, it would be dismissed as too unbelievable.3. What do you remember most about John Dalys career so far?Coachman: When I think about Daly, his golf doesnt even come into my mind. Its his partying, his hustle and continuing to bounce back. I think he is an all-time good dude with a good heart, and its nice to see he has pulled it together for the Champions Tour. Hopefully, his golf can take center stage this time.?Harig: It is unfortunate that there was so much off-course drama involving ex-wives, drinking, rehab and weight gain/loss, not to mention his high-profile withdrawals and high scores in various tournaments. But what is most memorable is the way he attracted people to the game with the way he hit the ball off the tee. His length was prodigious, and he routinely hit drives more than 300 yards when that was quite uncommon.Maguire: The way fans loved him (and still do). He would draw some of the largest galleries at a tournament even when people had no idea what would happen inside the ropes. Often that was the appeal. Hardcore and non-hardcore golf fans alike were drawn to the mystery surrounding Daly. Sure, the everyman aspect of his story made things interesting, but no one crushed the ball the way Daly did back in the early 1990s.Sobel: I think Ill always most remember the swing itself. Way past parallel, then smoothly through the ball, compressing it into orbit. No golfer has ever combined Dalys strength, power and flexibility. Yes, the man was -- and still is -- flexible and has always owned a deft touch around the greens. Sure, others might first recall the rags-to-riches (and back and forth) tale or the hard-living lifestyle, but its that swing which will forever be ingrained in my memory.4. Fact or Fiction: John Daly will win on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.Coachman: Fiction. Daly can finish top 10, but Im skeptical on whether or not he can put three or four rounds together in the same week. It has been so long since hes been in the winners circle, and when it has been this long, its too high of a mountain to climb.?Harig: Fact. The results so far do not back it up, as he has yet to post a single top-10 finish in 14 starts. But Daly has battled injuries and lack of play on the PGA Tour. Hes going to need some time, but it will happen.Maguire: Fiction. Not being able to get consistent tournament starts for the past several years didnt help his transition to the over-50 circuit this year. Hopefully Im wrong on this, but I just cant see him cashing that winners check again.Sobel:?Fact. Here is a partial list of winners on the senior tour this year: Doug Garwood, Carlos Franco, Gene Sauers and Duffy Waldorf. No offense toward any of those champions, but if they can do it, so can Daly.MLB Jerseys 2020 .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Nike NBA Jerseys 2020 . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Authentic MLB Jerseys . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Jordan Roland Jersey . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics are hardly accustomed to playing in first place at the All-Star break. Yet the top spot seems to fit them just fine at the moment -- even if its quite a change for the low-budget club long known for those second-half surges that make for a dramatic September. The As are all alone atop the AL West at the break for the first time since 1990. And thats saying something for the defending division champions, who last June 30 trailed the Texas Rangers by 13 games before rallying to capture the West crown on the seasons final day. It didnt hurt for momentum that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes won the Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities Monday in New York. At 56-39, the As are making another statement after surprising everybody with a stunning sweep of the Rangers to end the 2012 regular season and steal away the AL West title from Texas. "I really believe that the guys in this clubhouse really believe that we have one of the best teams in baseball," third baseman Josh Donaldson said. "Its just one of those things, where when we get an opportunity to play a good team like the Red Sox or the Pirates or the Cardinals, were out there sending a message that we are a good team, that were for real." Cespedes has continued to make strides in his second major league season, and perhaps winning the Derby will help propel him into the second half. The second-year slugger from Cuba has 15 home runs and 43 RBIs. And Oakland announced Wednesday it would open the gates an hour earlier to fans for remaining Friday home games so they can watch Cespedes and others take batting practice. "Hes not happy about his average right now but his productions still there for a guy whos hitting (.225)," manager Bob Melvin said. "Hes always on the verge of a hot streak." Oakland has seven wins in 10 extra-inning games, and six walkoff victories already after 14 last season led the majors. The As also have their first winning first half since 2008 -- with plans on making another run at an underdog division title. "Everythings rolling pretty well," Donaldson said. "Weve got a lot of guys in the lineup that can do some damage, not only just hitting home runs but getting on base. ... From 1 to 25, we feel like we can put anybody in the game and theyre going to be successful." Who would have thouught Angels stars Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Co.dddddddddddd would sit a surprising 11 games back at this stage? The As lead Texas by two games. "Theyve got a pretty good team to work with, too," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It was very impressive what they did last year, because I dont think they envisioned theyd make the playoffs. At the beginning it was kind of like, Do the best you can and well worry about the future later. I dont think BoMel (Melvin) got into that, because you cant have that attitude as a manager, because that transfers to your players." General manager Billy Beane did acknowledge his club was in rebuilding mode, so the As overachieved. They lost in the deciding Game 5 of the AL division series to the Tigers, who went on to be swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Melvin has done an admirable job mixing and matching to cope with injuries to key players such as centre fielder Coco Crisp. Oaklands substitutes have done their share. "It shows that there are 25 guys in this room that, when used properly, can compete and win games," said Nate Freiman, who singled home the winning run against Mariano Rivera in an 18-inning win over the Yankees last month. "And it shows that the guys making the decisions are good at making the decisions and they know how best to use guys." Donaldsons steady bat is a key reason the As are in the lead. He is hitting a team-best .310 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs and 107 hits, most in the first half by an As player since Carney Lansfords 118 in 1988. Donaldson is the first As player to bat at least .300 with 15 or more home runs before the break since Jason Giambi in 2001. Donaldson didnt make the AL All-Star team, with closer Grant Balfour the lone representative in place of 40-year-old, 12-game winner Bartolo Colon. These young, unselfish As are accustomed to being snubbed, and certainly dont mind the role of overlooked opponent. Though that image might be wearing off in a hurry if they keep this good thing going. Along with Donaldson, Brandon Moss also has 16 home runs. "Its fun to watch our lineup hit," lefty starter Tommy Milone said. "Theres no easy out. That makes it tough, especially for other pitchers. Its good for us because we go out there and feel comfortable with any lineup that we put out there." ' ' '