Baseball Season 2010!

[Bruce Gourley]

OK, this is not politics or public policy, but neither does it have any spiritual significance - but baseball season is upon us!

I'm looking for my Cincinnati Reds to have a breakout year, and get into the playoffs via a wild card in the National League. I'd like to see Aroldis Chapman in the rotation sometime in May. Keep an eye on rookie starting pitcher Mike Leake, the first MLB player to skip the minors entirely in about 20 years. And first baseman Joey Votto has a shot at NL MVP.

Mark McQuire is back as a coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, and I'm not sure that is a great idea. (On the other hand, I think Pete Rose should really be in the Hall of Fame.)

Ken Griffey Jr. is back for another season with the Mariners. He's been hitting far south of .250 for the past two or three seasons; it is time to gracefully retire.

World Series matchups? Anyone in the AL other than the Yankees! And of course the Reds in the NL. Well, a Yankees-Reds match up would be nice, a rematch of the 1976 Series. But Boston-Reds would be even better!

Jamie Moyer, a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies, is 47 years old. As long as someone older than me is playing on a MLB team, that makes me feel not-too-old.

[Jonathan]

Mostly agreed, Bruce.

- I always have hopes for the Reds but they will most likely find a way to miss most opportunities to content.

- His name is "McGwire" and it is a good thing that he is assisting the young batters in St. Looie. Steriod policies reflect about as much science and fact as did the Salem witch trials.

- I agree that Rose should be in the HOF. He was the greatest short ball hitter since Cobb and Rose played the game with a level of intensity that only Cobb approached before and no one will likely approach again.

- Junior is one of the latest tragic figures that MLB has a history of producing. The "What could have been?" question is a hallmark of baseball.

- Great in the WSJ over the weekend about the rise of defense in baseball. As expected, defense did not win last nights "Opening Night" game.

- Unfortunately, we live in a 2 tier era for the MLB where the most major of major markets rule the game (with the exceptions of teams like the Cardinals). The Yanks or Bosox will will the AL (and the series) and the Phillies or the Cards will win the NL.

- The best value for the family dollar will remain at the minor league level.

[Gary]

[Gary]

[Dave Roberts]

After years of having the Richmond Braves in the INternational League, now we are blessed with the Richmond Flying Squirrels this year. I hope they are worth the price to go to a couple of games.

[Gary]

[Bruce Gourley]

The nearby Billings Mustangs (rookie league team of the Cincinnati Reds) have a really (newly-built) stadium, and the games are a bargain and a lot of fun.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

I saw Ken Griffey Jr. in Arlington last summer in what I thought was his last season. He crushed one over the centerfield fence. Junior was my favorite player during my own baseball years. When I was 10 years old, I got a black lab mut and named him Griffey. After nearly 16 years of good times, we had to put Griffey to sleep about a year ago.

Will be rooting for the Yankees as usual. Alexis and I will be heading to the new Yankee Stadium to see a couple of games later in May. I normally see the Yankees play at least once in Arlington each year and before moving to Texas, I saw the Yankees a handful of times doing the interleague thing in Atlanta. The Weavers have made periodic trips to NYC for Yankees games over the years. Year-before-last, we were in NYC for 3 games, Yankees vs. Mets.



Dave,

Who are the Flying Squirrels. What team and league? I've spent at least a week or two each summer (except for the past couple of years) in Richmond visiting my grandparents (Dad from Richmond, Mom from Chester). My granddad would take me to at least one Richmond Braves game. I have great memories of seeing Ryan Klesko and Chipper Jones. My grandfather won some contest to sing the national anthem one year. He embarassed himself pretty good. Last time I was at a Braves game was a few years back, the place was literally empty - maybe a few hundred people at most.

Good times though and always worth the money. Nowadays, I love Baylor Baseball especially when I can get the boxseats by the dugout. Nothing beats being that close to the field.

Gary,

I went on many a youth group trips to nearby Macon to see the Whoopee. From what I remember, they didn't win much.

[William Thornton]

The Braves have this big stud rookie, Jason Heyward, a 'can't miss' prospect.

First major league at bat.

First major league swing.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

When I was in Atlanta last month, I was listening to sport radio and heard Buck Belue go on and on about Heyward for an entire segment.

Hope this guy is the real deal. Not long ago I remember Jeff Francoeur was the new rookie everyone was talking about, all the females had Francoeur jerseys, etc. Not sure how he's doing after being traded to the Mets.

[Dave Roberts]

[Jonathan]

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: As a kid living in Fort Wayne. Indiana BI Before Interstates. we where within a long nights drive to Chicago where I saw both the Cubs and the White Sox, Detroit wasn't quite as far, Cincinnati was about the same but not as much traffic and Cleavland seemed to take forever, and for a couple summers I visited an aunt and uncle near St. Louis and saw a couple games there. Consequently I have never really had a favorite pro team. Our house in Ft Myers Fl, was between the Boston Red Sox and Minneapolis Twins training facilities. And in Tampa while Trudy was finishing her B.A. at U.S.F., I worked Security at a Holiday Inn where the Yankees stayed during Spring training, that is when I became a Joe Torey Fan.
While in Cinci we did get to a few Reds Games. And Bruce, Griffy Jr. was the worse thing that ever happened to them.

Now with interstates we are 3 and a half hours from Montreal and 4 and a half to Boston and to NYC, 6 hours from Philly and I haven't been to a major league game since coming to NY in 2002.

But to redeem this thread for BL.com We do try to make the Capital Area Baptist Association baseball nights for at least one Albany Vally Cats Game each season.

And I have resolved to get to Cooperstown for at least a part of the Little League Wold Series this year.

[Tim Dahl]

I was at the Ranger openning game on Monday.

IT WAS GREAT!!!!!

Tim

[Stephen Fox]

Son of good friend of mine from High School; father with the same name who played Baseball at Mars Hill College.

Grady has already had some pretty good games this year, after injuries stifled his season last.

And I hope this is the year some of you will read Halberstam's The Teammates; for the legend of Dom Dimaggio and Leon Culberson and the big play of the 46 World Series.

[Chris]

[Chris]

I made my annual picks 30 minutes before the first pitch was thrown at Fenway Park.

AL: Rays, Twins, Angels, and BoSox will be the wild card. NL: Phillies, Cardinals, Rockies, and Braves will be the wild card.
World Series: Rays will beat the Phillies in 6 games. I would have put the Twins in the World Series, but I learned that Joe Nathan is out for the season.


I was very impressed with Dodgers' knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, today, when I saw him strike out 12 batters in 6 innings. He got wild at times, though.

This RedSox fan feels it is time to find a graceful way to retire David Ortiz. He is over-the-hill. The new Mo Vaughn.

[Chris]

When the "designated hitter" idea was instituted about 40 years ago, it was supposed to be an "experiment". We purists know it isn't real baseball. The players' union likes it because it gives long-in-the-tooth players a chance to extend their careers a few years. The idea is that a player who has good OFFENSIVE numbers (but whose legs are failing) can bat in place of the team's pitcher.

Take a look around the American League tonight -- 5-14-2010. Here are the DHs that are playing tonight. Cleveland: Travis Haffner, Avg = .235. Baltimore: Luke Scott, avg = .227. Minneapolis: Jason Kubel, avg. = .224. Toronto: Adam Lind, avg .223. Seattle: Mike Sweeny, avg = .220. Boston: David Ortiz, avg. .213. It gets worse. St. Pete: Pat Burrell, avg. .205. Bronx Yankees: Juan Miranda, avg .000 (he hasn't had a hit this year!

Many of these teams have PITCHERS who bat better than this! !

DUMP THE D.H. IN 2011! ! !

Edit -- While I was writing this, Juan Miranda got a hit in the 8th inning in the Bronx. His batting average rose to .143.
Edit #2: Before the night was over, David Ortiz would hit a homer of 450 feet, and another of 394 feet. Is it worth keeping him around to do this once every 50 or 60 days? I think not (RedSox fan). Let him save face, and give him a job as a coach in the minor leagues.
Edit #3: Today, 5-15-2010, the news is that Pat Burrell has been "designated for assignment", which, I think, means "fired."

[Stephen Fox]

Which of you baseball fans has read this great book?

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/sport ... ndex.jsonp

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=8433

[Stephen Fox]

Pitcher

Married girl from Wade Hampton (Greenville SC) HS who was my nephew's Prom Date his Junior year, Spring of 02

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/books ... -t.html?hp

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/nyreg ... parky.html

[Gary]

Two perfect games in less than a month. Who'd a thunk that ML pitching had risen to such levels?

Remind me again just who these posers to the legacy of Koufax are?

Oh, and a note the the Angels: Be careful while celebrating. Your season depends on it.

Gary