Loving that teams are back in action today as Spring Training Baseball begins.
Today the Cubs are looking to get some unimportant revenge against the Dodgers who knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
Sure the games mean absolutely nothing, but Damnit if it isn't nice to get baseball back.
Many of the games are being carried on MLB.com radio and a couple are getting the MLB.TV treatment (Cleveland/Giants and Red Sox/Twins).
Either way, it's just exciting to hear the announcers and the names of big league players once again as we make our way towards April 6th and Opening Day!!!
I'm so glad that it is baseball season once again.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Spring (Training) Is In The Air!
Pitchers, Catchers, and Position Players have all reported to camp. Spring Training is officially underway, baseball is truly on the horizon.
And all they can talk about on MLB HomePlate (Sirius 210, XM 175) is A Rod.
We get it, he's a cheater, let's talk about baseball!
First of all, I hate how much coverage gets heaped on the Yankees anyway, there are 29 other teams out there. (And believe it or not, they aren't all the Red Sox.)
Recently Adam Dunn signed a two year deal with the Washington Nationals. And Ken Griffey Jr is in the process of signing a deal with the Atlanta Braves. Haven't heard too much coverage on either of those deals though.
Look, the steroid issue is important, and the fact that the player many considered to be the best in the game (personally, as much as I hate to admit it, I would probably give that title to Albert Pujols, damn Cards) has tested positive for steroids is a big black eye to the sport, the game is more important then any one player, be it A Rod, Clemens, or Barry Bonds (and with his trial about to begin, trust me, we're going to hear a lot from him in the coming weeks).
All I ask is that we not let A Rod and steroids dominate the news. Let's talk about various teams chances. Who is going to win the American League East? Can the Rays repeat? What about in the West? The Angels have taken a huge step back, but have either the Rangers or the A's taken a big enough step forward to compete? Where is Manny going to sign? When is Manny going to sign? And for how much? There are far more stories that should be (and deserve to be) getting our attention. Let's see some coverage on that as well.
And all they can talk about on MLB HomePlate (Sirius 210, XM 175) is A Rod.
We get it, he's a cheater, let's talk about baseball!
First of all, I hate how much coverage gets heaped on the Yankees anyway, there are 29 other teams out there. (And believe it or not, they aren't all the Red Sox.)
Recently Adam Dunn signed a two year deal with the Washington Nationals. And Ken Griffey Jr is in the process of signing a deal with the Atlanta Braves. Haven't heard too much coverage on either of those deals though.
Look, the steroid issue is important, and the fact that the player many considered to be the best in the game (personally, as much as I hate to admit it, I would probably give that title to Albert Pujols, damn Cards) has tested positive for steroids is a big black eye to the sport, the game is more important then any one player, be it A Rod, Clemens, or Barry Bonds (and with his trial about to begin, trust me, we're going to hear a lot from him in the coming weeks).
All I ask is that we not let A Rod and steroids dominate the news. Let's talk about various teams chances. Who is going to win the American League East? Can the Rays repeat? What about in the West? The Angels have taken a huge step back, but have either the Rangers or the A's taken a big enough step forward to compete? Where is Manny going to sign? When is Manny going to sign? And for how much? There are far more stories that should be (and deserve to be) getting our attention. Let's see some coverage on that as well.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Steroid Talk
It has gotten so old as A-Roid is the latest name we've heard. There will be others.
And in my opinion, the sooner the better. I hope that the other 103 names from the 2003 Survey will soon be released and then perhaps we can finally start to put this behind us.
3 Days until pitchers and catchers report. (Let's focus on that good news.)
And in my opinion, the sooner the better. I hope that the other 103 names from the 2003 Survey will soon be released and then perhaps we can finally start to put this behind us.
3 Days until pitchers and catchers report. (Let's focus on that good news.)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Not Just Rooting for the Laundry
There is a famous Jerry Seinfeld bit where he talks about fans just rooting for the laundry, as in, they root for the uniforms, not the players. And, of course, as it is with all good comedy, there is truth to the joke.
I'm a Cubs fan, I root for the Cubs despite the fact that a third of the team will be different this season from last season.
That being said, I do attach some feeling to some of the players as well and continue to root for them after they leave the laundry behind. That's why I'll be rooting for the Indians to have a good season. They have two of my favorite players with them this season, Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa (both Cubs last year).
One of the players that I will always root for is Matt Murton. He is going to be a hell of a player when he gets the chance. Last season with the Cubs he was clearly not going to get a chance to be an everyday player. There were too many players ahead of him in the outfield. He got traded to the A's in the deal for Rich Harden, and while I was sorry to see him go, I thought that he would finally get a chance to play. Well, the A's didn't really give him much of a chance and his numbers weren't too good in the part time position that they used him in.
Yesterday, they traded him to the Rockies, meaning he'll have a chance to prove himself to his new team in spring training and play in a park that caters itself to offensive power. I'm telling you right now he's going to have a monster season.
In his only full year to get playing time with a big league club (the Cubs in 2006) Murton batted .297 playing in 144 games and 455 at bats. He hit 13 homers and had 62 RBI. He had a .809 OPS (the number you get when you add your slugging to your onbase percentage, OPS stands for Onbase Plus Slugging and it is considered the best statistic to gauge offensive prowess). This was in his first (and as of yet) only full season in the bigs. It stands to reason that it will only get better (and those numbers are already pretty good). Add in the fact that he'll get 81 games in Colorado at Coors and I predict a break out year for him this season.
In fact I'll go even further and predict that he'll be in the All Star Game.
Not enough of a limb for you? I'm predicting that he's going to have a season of a .300+ avg., 30+ homeruns, 100+ rbi, and a .900 OPS. Those type of numbers are MVP consideration numbers. In fact, why not, if the Rockies are in the NL West race at the end of the season, I'll go ahead and predict that Murton will be in MVP consideration.
I really believe that he's going to be a hell of a player and have a hell of a season. While I'm sad it isn't for the Cubs, I'm not too upset, because I think that Rich Harden is going to have a Cy Young type year, so it was a good trade for us.
Either way, I'm rooting for the kid, and not at all because of the laundry.
I'm a Cubs fan, I root for the Cubs despite the fact that a third of the team will be different this season from last season.
That being said, I do attach some feeling to some of the players as well and continue to root for them after they leave the laundry behind. That's why I'll be rooting for the Indians to have a good season. They have two of my favorite players with them this season, Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa (both Cubs last year).
One of the players that I will always root for is Matt Murton. He is going to be a hell of a player when he gets the chance. Last season with the Cubs he was clearly not going to get a chance to be an everyday player. There were too many players ahead of him in the outfield. He got traded to the A's in the deal for Rich Harden, and while I was sorry to see him go, I thought that he would finally get a chance to play. Well, the A's didn't really give him much of a chance and his numbers weren't too good in the part time position that they used him in.
Yesterday, they traded him to the Rockies, meaning he'll have a chance to prove himself to his new team in spring training and play in a park that caters itself to offensive power. I'm telling you right now he's going to have a monster season.
In his only full year to get playing time with a big league club (the Cubs in 2006) Murton batted .297 playing in 144 games and 455 at bats. He hit 13 homers and had 62 RBI. He had a .809 OPS (the number you get when you add your slugging to your onbase percentage, OPS stands for Onbase Plus Slugging and it is considered the best statistic to gauge offensive prowess). This was in his first (and as of yet) only full season in the bigs. It stands to reason that it will only get better (and those numbers are already pretty good). Add in the fact that he'll get 81 games in Colorado at Coors and I predict a break out year for him this season.
In fact I'll go even further and predict that he'll be in the All Star Game.
Not enough of a limb for you? I'm predicting that he's going to have a season of a .300+ avg., 30+ homeruns, 100+ rbi, and a .900 OPS. Those type of numbers are MVP consideration numbers. In fact, why not, if the Rockies are in the NL West race at the end of the season, I'll go ahead and predict that Murton will be in MVP consideration.
I really believe that he's going to be a hell of a player and have a hell of a season. While I'm sad it isn't for the Cubs, I'm not too upset, because I think that Rich Harden is going to have a Cy Young type year, so it was a good trade for us.
Either way, I'm rooting for the kid, and not at all because of the laundry.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
I Need Baseball!!!!
Well, the Super Bowl is over, meaning that Football has once again moved on.
I love football, and I thought that this was a very entertaining Super Bowl, but I am ready for the start of the baseball season.
Luckily, it is only 10 days (that's right just 10!) until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.
It is less then a month until teams start playing spring training games and in just over a month, we will have the 2nd World Baseball Classic.
March 7th the US and Canada will get the WBC rolling in Toronto, and I can not wait.
It has been an interesting Offseason, still is (after all Manny Ramirez, Ben Sheets, Bobby Abreu, and Adam Dunn all remain unsigned), but I'm tired of the talking and ready for some action.
LET'S PLAY SOME FRAKKING BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, needed to get that out. But seriously, I can't wait.
I love football, and I thought that this was a very entertaining Super Bowl, but I am ready for the start of the baseball season.
Luckily, it is only 10 days (that's right just 10!) until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.
It is less then a month until teams start playing spring training games and in just over a month, we will have the 2nd World Baseball Classic.
March 7th the US and Canada will get the WBC rolling in Toronto, and I can not wait.
It has been an interesting Offseason, still is (after all Manny Ramirez, Ben Sheets, Bobby Abreu, and Adam Dunn all remain unsigned), but I'm tired of the talking and ready for some action.
LET'S PLAY SOME FRAKKING BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, needed to get that out. But seriously, I can't wait.
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