Two games into spring training and no one has posted yet? The Twins are 2-0! We're going to the World Series!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally something to watch on MLB TV other than classic games and Harold Reynolds!

..and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a perfect game! Okay, so it was only 3 innings.

I alos have a huge boner over the Bucs locking down Nate McLouth for the next few years. Of course, a multi-year contract is never a guarantee anyone will actually BE in Pittsburgh all those years.... but it's a nice thought, dammit!

Just like the 2008 NFL thread was "ESPN loves Favre", this MLB thread shoulda' been: "ESPN loves Manny".

For all the drama that it's worth (by that I mean: nothing), he signed with....the Dodgers.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aq3f...ov=ap&type=lgns

Pudge Rodriguez signs with Houston. And I actually went ahead and put in an order for a pair of Rockies-Astros tickets because of that. Okay, so it was either the Nationals or Astros.

I finally checked th abseballe standings in the paper today and saw that the Twins are 9-8. WTF! I thought they were doing very well. There goes teh pennant!

So I was in Vegas, last week, and they had the over/under on the Pirates' win total at 68.5 games. I've never bet on sports in my life, but decided to place 10 bucks on the Pirates to win more than that. I really think they can win about 72... but I seem to think that EVERY year.

Oh...and speaking of gambling and baseball: guess who was signing autographs at a casino mall in Caesar's Palace? Pete Rose. He STILL doesn't get why he was banned.

Here's something we realized, last week: Coors Field is now officially the FOURTH oldest NL ballpark and will be the THIRD oldest when the Marlins open a new one.

Notice that's it NL. So we have:
1-Wrigley
2-Dodger Stadium
3-Dolphin Stadium (Joe Robbie/Pro Player)
4-Coors Field

Pretty crazy

So, umm..hope ya' didn't have MANNY RAMIREZ on your fantasy team. Especially if you were in a pay league. Yuk yuk, that's just "Manny being Manny".

Less than 18 months from an amazing September run and a World Series appearance, Hurdle is out as Rockies manager and replaced by Jim Tracy. He of the awesome 2006-2007 Pittsburgh Pirates!

I'm going to the game tonight, so I get to be there for the Latest NEW Era in Rockies Baseball. Hurdle's been manager since May 2002...which was the longest tenure in Rockies history.

From the Rockies website:

Clint's a good guy and full of humility, so I hope he remains in the organization.

And hey, if Jim Tracy doesn't work out, the Rockies still have Don Baylor on their staff.

I went to see the Columbus Clippers on Friday and Travis Hafner was there rehabbing. He went 1-2 with 2 walks. He looked pretty solid.

Pretty cool. I think the last time I saw a Big Leaguer rehabbing was when Dave Veres started for the Iowa Cubs agsint the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, circa 2003. I couldn't figure out why a reliever was starting, but he was only in for one inning. It was also Free Loaf of Bread Night and I got to see Human Bowling.

Oh, and in case you haven't seen the overhaul to Baseball-reference.com, Hafner's stats have already been added:
Travis Hafner's Minor League Stats

I saw Ryan Zimmerman rehabbing last year when Columbus was the Nationals minor league team. God, those were rough years. They had shit on that team.

At least with the Indians in control I've heard of several of the players now. We've got Masa Kobayashi, Kirk Sarloos, Josh Barfield, Tony Graffaino, Andy Marte, Matt LaPorta and Vinnie Chulk. I mean, those guys all suck or washed up but I've at least heard of them and seen them play at the MLB level of things.

It's depressing how MLB only makes front page headlines when someone gets busted for PED's. Latest is Sammy Sosa over the weekend.

Gee...Sammy Sosa? Really?! No way...never expected that. </sarcasm>

I suppose he'll come up with another half-assed excuse of how he was "doing it for the fans"...like his corked BP bats, circa 2003. Sammy may be the only turd in/around baseball that I despise more than Jose Canseco.

I can't really toot my horn about my second place Cardinals, but sweet molasses Jesus is Albert Pujols kicking ass this year. He hits two homers in a game and I don't even blink.

All-Star Rosters for both leagues. Minus the two extra "online fan voting" members who will be added soon:

American League
C Joe Mauer, MIN L/R
1B Mark Teixeira, NYY S/R
2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS R/R
SS Derek Jeter, NYY R/R
3B Evan Longoria, TB R/R
OF Jason Bay, BOS R/R
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA L/R
OF Josh Hamilton, TEX L/L

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Andrew Bailey, OAK R/R
P Josh Beckett, BOS R/R
P Mark Buehrle, CWS L/L
P Brian Fuentes, LAA L/L
P Zack Greinke, KC R/R
P Roy Halladay, TOR R/R
P Felix Hernandez, SEA R/R
P Edwin Jackson, DET R/R
P Joe Nathan, MIN R/R
P Jonathan Papelbon, BOS R/R
P Mariano Rivera, NYY R/R
P Justin Verlander, DET R/R
P Tim Wakefield, BOS R/R

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Victor Martinez, CLE S/R
1B Justin Morneau, MIN L/R
1B Kevin Youkilis, BOS R/R
2B Aaron Hill, TOR R/R
SS Jason Bartlett, TB R/R
3B Michael Young, TEX R/R
OF Carl Crawford, TB L/L
OF Curtis Granderson, DET L/R
OF Torii Hunter, LAA R/R
OF Adam Jones, BAL R/R
OF Ben Zobrist, TB S/R


National League
C Yadier Molina, STL R/R
1B Albert Pujols, STL R/R
2B Chase Utley, PHI L/R
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA R/R
3B David Wright, NYM R/R
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM S/R
OF Ryan Braun, MIL R/R
OF Raul Ibanez, PHI L/R

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Heath Bell, SD R/R
P Chad Billingsley, LAD R/R
P Jonathan Broxton, LAD R/R
P Matt Cain, SF R/R
P Francisco Cordero, CIN R/R
P Ryan Franklin, STL R/R
P Dan Haren, ARI R/R
P Josh Johnson, FLA L/R
P Ted Lilly, CHC L/L
P Tim Lincecum, SF L/R
P Jason Marquis, COL L/R
P Francisco Rodriguez, NYM R/R
P Johan Santana, NYM L/L

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Brian McCann, ATL L/R
1B Prince Fielder, MIL L/R
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD L/L
1B Ryan Howard, PHI L/L
2B Orlando Hudson, LAD S/R
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT R/R
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU R/R
3B Ryan Zimmerman, WSH R/R
OF Brad Hawpe, COL L/L
OF Hunter Pence, HOU R/R
OF Justin Upton, ARI R/R

Really can't complain, as they added one extra spot this year. About a month ago, it looked like Zach Duke would make it onto the roster, but his record's fallen to 8-7. So the Pirates got to send Freddy Sanchez for the third time. Middle infielders are always a slim All-Star class, but Sanchez ranks pretty high in doubles and hits, so his selection is perfectly acceptable.

Tim Wakefield's selection is pretty cool. I was surprised it was his first. I could've sworn he made the team in 1995.

Very surprised Yovani Gallardo isn't on the list. Sub-3.00 ERA, well over 100 Ks.

I think Joey Votto should've been considered for a spot. But oh well.

Agreed.

But he's at 1B, annually a VERY crowded position when it comes to All-Star rosters. Move him to 2B just for the first week of the year, then he'll be listed on the ballot under that position.

Noooooo! Pirates sites are reporting that Freddy Sanchez is very close to being shipped to the Colorado Rockies for Eric Young, Jr.

Sucks for the Pirates, but that'll be a huge steal for the Rockies. Freddy could hit 80 doubles in Coors Field and really get me thrilled for the Rocks' stretch run.

Err....

http://countingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/


I think it crossed over into Pathetic Territory once I saw all the "season leaders" and "standings" in ballhawking. I guess I shouldn't poke TOO much fun at it. After all, I like to score my "Ballpark Dumps" and brag about my autographed balls.

(wow, that last sentence sounds weird).

I can only recount ballpark pisses, I'm afraid. Those stadium dogs seem to get me backed up for a few days.

Few quick comments....

1. New Yankee Stadium blows.

2. Come on, Rays! Hang in there. Still got 70 games left to play.

3. Fuck Boston.

4. The Nationals don't just suck. They probably would drop a 3 game series to a Triple A team at this point. The two greatest prospects in the world couldn't save their sorry asses right now.

You been to the new Yankee Stadium? Old (yet somewhat NEW in the 70's) Yankee Stadium had the "destiny and mystique" on the FIELD...but the rest of it was about as appealing as the rest of the NYC Subway system.

Mild boner in my trunks since the Rockies just passed the Giants for the NL Wild Card, last night. I really can't get excited about any team that trots out Jason Marquis and Jorge De La Rosa as stretch runs starters. But the infield of Helton, Barmes, Tulowitzki and Stewart ain't too shabby at all.

Haven't been to New-New yet, but it looks terrible. Tropicana Field back in the day, with the horrible (a.k.a much worse than now) turf with a bunch of guys in neon print uniforms, wasn't as much of an eye sore to watch.

I dunno'. Stump Merill marching to the mound to pull-out Scott Sanderson was a fairly oogly eye sore to watch. And that was in (old) Yankee Stadium.

....EEEEEEEW. Stump. Thanks for bringing those days up, you bastard!

Your 1991 Yankees FLEER Team Set is in the mail. Featuring Oscar Azocar, Kevin Maas, Mel Hall, Eric Plunk and more! Hold on to that Hensley Muelens card, especially.

I forgot, but was Plunk one of the pieces of crap the Yanks got for trading Rickey Henderson?

Yow. Shocked that you would remember that without looking it up. But it does involve RICKEY HENDERSON.

From baseball-reference.com's Eric Plunk page:

I remember watching a late-night ESPN game in the early 90's. Plunk had come on, late, and walked everybody but the opposing manager's dog. The announcer deadpanned: "he's working on a new pitch. It's called: a strike". No idea who said that, but it was a great line that immediately entered my own personal lexicon.

I need to rip that off next time I go to a game and someone walks 8 guys.

Aw man, I can't make a Rays joke there anymore. But I'm sure if you watch the Nationals, you'll see all the bad pitching and defense that plagued the Reds around the turn of the century. Especially since half the team played for the Reds then.

And yeah, New Yankee Stadium gives up as many HR's as Mile High/Coor's Field. And it doesn't have the excuse of thin air.

I made enough Rays jokes, myself, before last year.

"I'm going to a minor league game. The Rays are in town."


"The Rays need some help. I wonder if that little league team will lend their pitcher to us."

Or, more accurately: "The Rays need help. I wonder if that old first baseman who used to play for the Yankees can come down here and hit .262?!"

.... That was a low blow!

...How about "that Yankee first baseman who got 1 hit in 20 at bats in 2004 can be our starting first baseman."

You know, Travis "T-Rex" Lee.

Hey, Travis Lee was great.

Speaking of subpar first basemen: Adam LaRoche was shipped to Boston, today. In exchange, the Pirates got....umm, two Double-A guys who play baseball.

My last glimpse of LaRoche as a Pirate: last night while grilling on the back porch, looking in through a window to watch him strike out on TV. I thought: "golly, he sure does that move well".

Did the Pirates get a couple of more guys from India who don't know what baseball is, or do these guys have enough talent to hit .250 in Triple-A?

The 18th-round pick sounds like a reach. LaRoche has hit .106 since June, so getting ANYTHING for him was a small victory. My spin: he was rather vocal in his criticism of the Nate McLouth trade, which probably depressed, angered or just plain freaked him out. Led to even shittier play.

Oh, and in a side story: had lunch with an Atlanta Brave, a few weeks ago. Nice guy... he got us tickets to the game. I asked if he could get me an autographed team ball, but I'm not expecting anything. Might run into him, again.