Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Baseball (the talkin' sport)


Tom Strange
 Share

Recommended Posts

You know what I think of Bonds, but no matter what i think, he could work well for either of those teams if the price tag came down..The Rays could be surprising this year anyway, I think they may surprise some people ---with Bonds? well i suspect you could write abook about the possible ups and downs of that scenario. It might do them good, it might be more of a distraction to the young players than it is worth...i really dont know..

......

I gotta feel somewhat for Nomar and that damn wrist again----he got hit in that wrist in 2000 or so toward the end of his .370 something year and has never been the same since... I know there are more pressing needs, like finding someone to play third (Billy Crystal is available :wink2: ), but I wonder what his career trajectory might have looked like if he couldve pulled back from that one pitch 8 years ago. He was high and on the rise at the time with no end in sight, it was great to watch. ..

anyway I hope the Dodgers can scramble themselves up a thirdbaseman . . .

glad i can still come here its getting damn pathetic over in the politics section

Edited by mstar1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with you on the politics, mstar.

Since I have no other outlet, I'm going to vent here, much as I don't want to get into Yankees vs Red Sox stuff. I was listening to a radio pundit yesterday who was a Sox fan, and rightfully praising the players for fighting for their coaches in Japan. Then she goes "and what about the Yankees? Where were their players? They didn't do anything. There's the difference between the teams, folks."

Of course I couldn't jump through the radio and inform her that 1-the Yankees aren't GOING to Japan, so it wasn't an issue, and 2-while that was going on, the Yankees were playing a charity game at Virginia Tech to help the healing from the tragedy there.

Right now I'm feeling good about the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Dodgers,and the coming season. Radio pundits, be they political or sports, can rain on a sunny day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds like a completely idiotic comment and granted there is alot of that --way too much...on both sides.

As much as i may come off as a yankee hater some of the time, I do have agreat amount of respect for them and mostly just enjoy the hard competition of two very good teams that I am right in the midst of...

Im getting tired of the whole Obama pastor thing--I actually just watched the entire sermons which they soundbited and they were very good..i wonder how many of the squawkers have seen the whole things in context.....

anyway someone just walked in the door I gotta go for now....

Manny-san being Manny-san in Japan

1206043799_8590.jpg

Edited by mstar1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I'm awake at 3am for some reason, and flip channels only to find the opening game of the season on. Baseball at 3 am...

It still felt like a spring training game to me, but of course it's not. Shaky start by dice-k, but it looks like the Sox won.

Maybe I'm too old, but I liked it better when opening day was a big deal, and always in Cincinnatti.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had forgotten about those Cinncinnati games every year...this was a little early (in the year, in the year I mean)-- and looked in alot of ways like a spring training game..a lot of players didnt look too sharp out there...but Manny leads the league with 4RBIs and the Sox are 1-0--so I'll definitely take it..(although I wouldnt want these 5AM games everyday...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's Jose Canseco at it again. He has no proof of anything, and also claims Arod was hitting on his wife.

Canseco may feel 'vindicated' because it's clear that steroids are a big problem, but that doesn't mean everyone he has an axe to grind with is now fair game.

I don't know if Arod did or didn't do steroids, but I am clear that Canseco is 'vindictive' more than 'vindicated'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should be easy to spot among the 115 thousand ! I'm right behind first base-about 60 rows up!!

My biggest concern is where to park. I have a feeling I'll be missing Dodger Stadium before I'm out of the car.

I wonder how the ball will play off the left field screen. Seems to me you could have balls landing in the infield.

This will certainly be the strangest game I've ever been to. Maybe. I've been to some strange ones with normal dimensions.

I wish they hadn't closed off right field. They should have let it go to the wall. Of course then they couldn't have that great 'standing area'. That sounds like too much fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just make sure you wave for all of us to see!

This is bound to be one very strange game....aside from the dimensions you will also get your intro to Dr Steinberg...who is bound to pull a few rabbits out of his hat either to give you a grin or get you annoyed....I hope they bring out some of the old Dodgers (Wally Moon etc ...) at the least

As far as parking---good luck----I did find THIS-but with 115,000 God only knows what that will all look like.

It should be fun to watch, but from this standpoint it is very strange to have two games that count and then three that dont, then back to the regular season again......I hope nobody gets hurt running into that fence in left at deep short.

O....and in case you are around Bill James is going to be on 60 minutes on Sunday-which could be interesting.....

Edited by mstar1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have agood time be and be careful out there...Its been a long time since Ive seen 115,000 people in one place--its al ittle much for me but it would be cool to be part of the biggest baseball crowd in history.....

Now that the season has started the spectacularly useless information of 2008 is also underway....courtesy of Brandon Moss who was filling in for an (what else?) injured J.D. Drew for the two games in Tokyo.

Moss became the first player in history to hit his first ML homerun on the other side of the Pacific..

The only other player to launch home run number one in a country other than Canada, the United States or, for the sake of U.S.-territory fanatics, Puerto Rico, was the immortal Joey Hamilton. The Padres pitcher homered against the Mets in Mexico on Aug. 18, 1996.

But that isn't even the best Brandon Moss Useless Info Note of 2008.

The Red Sox sent Moss to the minor leagues once the Japan games were over

Which brings the question:

When was the last time the major-league home run leader was sent to the minor leagues during any season?

...

anyhoo...

I saw in the paper Pete Carroll the USC football coach hit 3 out of 5 pitches over the leftfield screenfor HR's yesterday...I have to wonder what the over under for runs scored will be in this game --Im guessing around 35----

Im also wondering what the Ortiz shift will look like(will there be 6 fielders to the right of 2nd?) , and if we'll be lucky enough to see any 7-4-3 double plays.

This should be fun----

Edited by mstar1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not crazy about the 115000 , but I gotta go.

I've decided to do the Dodger Stadium shuttle, rather than wander around USC searching for my car tonight. It will probably take hours to catch the shuttle back to my car, but seems like the sanest way to go.

Festivities start at noon! I don't need that much celebrating, so I won't be there quite that early.

This is fun, but I'm REALLY looking forward to being at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday where it's nice and homey, and the regular season is under way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hiway--did youmake it home through the 115,000,000 yet?

Id love to hear the tale from your vantage point--

It was interesting on this end, i didnt get any of the pregame or in between innings stuff--just stood with my mouth agape as I saw the configuration and the defensive alignments. It looked like 5 infielders most of the night....at one point Andruw Jones was IN on the infield grass! ....there was at least one 9-8 putout at 2nd....and Ethier tried to throw out Lowell at first from Centerfield....things-ya just dont see everyday....

..I couldnt believe the backstop was as close to the plate as it was (it looked to be around 7 feet behind the ump)...or the Dodger dugout which was right off first.....shortstops playing balls off of the left field fence---and an almost triple play ..(just missed the middle man...)

It was good to see the Dodgers who I never get to see, although under those conditions I cant give a fair assessment...Martin impressed me--especially when he gunned down an overzealous Ellsbury early on....

I did catch a glimpse of Duke Snider -but that was about it for the festivities side..

Its 4am--the parking lots must be starting to empty out by now I would guess

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still bleary eyed, but here goes.

I'm glad I was there. I also can't wait to get back to Dodger Stadium.

Can't believe the Dodgers played with that configuration for 4 years (though left field was closer than it was back then due to more seats).

I took the shuttle from Dodger Stadium-and more about that later. Got there about 4:30, and found there really wasn't much reason to arrive early.I enjoyed a lot of batting practice. The best part was watching Manny taking grounders at shortstop ! I guess he figured shortstop/left field-what's the difference ?

The best pre game ceremony was a plaque going in the Coliseum honoring Vin Scully, who got the biggest ovation of the night. Old time Dodgers were brought out between innings, with the Duke getting the biggest hand. Oddly, I don't recall seeing Sandy Koufax, and I guess Orel Hershiser is busy with I forget what team he's with now. It was nice seeing Torre and Lasorda kibitzing. Joe had Tommy bring the line up card to home plate, and it looks like Tommy is going to be more active this year than he has of late. He managed the Dodgers 'split squad' while Torre went to China.

That was one weird game, and didn't feel 'right' from beginning to end. With Wakefields knuckleball knuckling, the Dodgers couldn't get the ball out of the infield.The Dodgers set up with 5 infielders all night, while the Sox shifted to almost 2 centerfielders, leaving most of 'left field' vacant. There were some good plays, 2 of which mstar noted, the almost triple play, and Russel Martin's cannon. Martin is for real.

But the game was just weird. I can't wait to cleanse myself at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

The crowd was boisterous and drunk. I think starting the fun at noon gave too many people time to get tanked by gametime. It was as close to sitting in an east coast ballpark as I've seen out here. Of course there were Sox fans, though not as many as you would think. This night was really about the hard core Dodger fans. I sat near a couple of old timers and heard lots of reminiscing about the early years, which was just fine.

We left in the 8th inning to catch the shuttle back. It was a breeze when we left Dodger Stadium to get there, and were unprepared for the nightmare ahead. The shuttle line extended several city blocks, winding back to the Coliseum-and this was before the game was even over. It was going to take hours-I thought at least 3-to get the shuttle, and noone in line was happy about that, as many had been there 6 hours or more already. I tremembered we had seen my friend's son in law earlier and called him to check his status. He and his dad were almost at the fron of the line, and I told him to hang on till we got there, which required a mad dash

through the line ,and finding them in the dark. We got there just as they were getting on a bus and were able to glom onto them. I cannot overstate the relief and

joy of being on that bus.

I took pictures, but I was so high up, I don't know if there's anything noteworthy. I can't recall ever seeing so many people in one place. It was one time that the wave was actually entertaining. The Sox on the bench even joined in. I thought that was pretty cool.

I am SO looking forward to real baseball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well glad you made it home in one piece-I heard about the lines..which sounded nasty.

It was interesting but it was a circus-the TV coverage was pretty bad- several of the cameras were out of focus, the CF pitching camera was directly on line where the very large second base ump stood so he continually blocked any view of the plate, and the Boston announcers were in the football pressbox and joked about routinely not being able to see what was going on about 5-600 feet away...the cameras had their best coverage on the beachballs and the wave.

A few times i reminded myself that it was all for cancer research.

I thought whoever was playing left-short could have used one of those curved jai-alai flinger thingys- that would have been a nice touch..

Knowing Dr. Steinberg (The Dentist) I was half expecting him to trot out Mr. Ed or Herman Munster somewhere in the festivities as Dodger Alumni ...probably later in the year... With the speech before they lit the torch (which I did see) I was half expecting to see the Pope show up....

Its been a weird spring for the RS--leave Spring training 2 weeks early-about a jillion flying hours -2 games that count in Japan, flying back, then this...Im thankful no ones been hurt and the "normal" season will resume soon..I'm with you on that Im ready for regular baseball.

if you got any photos......

Edited by mstar1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

mstar-I've got photos, but don't have the know how to post them here. However, if you pm me your email address, I can send some to you and you can post them here if you like. Sorry I'm so brain dead, but that's the limit of my current skills.

I just found out that shuttle from Dodger Stadium got so backed up people didn't get there until after 8 pm. Now I'm glad I caught it early, and sat through 2 hours of batting practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its good to see baseball again!

Todays odd news -which you already may have heard

Yesterday at Fenway Park a red tailed hawk swooped down on a tour group and scratched a girl that had come too close to its nest. The hawks apparently nest there during the winter and keep the mouse population down then leave when the season starts and the people show up.

The girl was ok...her name-Alexa Rodriguez

BDD_hawk_fenway_4.3.08_bg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If she can hit 50 home runs a year, sign her up. That was a strange story. Do the hawks know it's time to leave ? And if not, who's going to tell them?

Went to Dodger Stadium the other night, and I've never appreciated it so much as after a night at the Coliseum. Had a rain delay in the 5th, which is rare at a park that's only had 17 rainouts since 1962. I can recall almost that many in one season at Yankee Stadium. It was comical watching the ground crew negotiate the tarp. They clearly had not practiced much.

Baseball is back. About time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 Rainouts in 45 years? I swear Ive seen the tarp go on the field that many times in a good week at times..

The article said a member of the groundscrew removed the hawks nest. After seeing some hawks this winter dive bombing and killing some birds and mangling some small animals Im pretty sure that I wouldnt want to have that assignment.

Its still cold here and in a way with the weird schedule it still seems a little like spring training, Im sure that will change come the home opener next Tuesday

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Break up the Royals !

Those Tigers sure are bums !

The start of the season is always filled with surprises and unmet expectations.

Baseball is all about the long haul, and the proper order of things is usually the end result.Except when it isn't.

I still don't believe the incredible run by the Rockies at the end of last year. Don't look for a repeat performance.

I follow the book of Yogi when it comes to predictions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...