MLB 2008

[Tim McG]

OK....here we go . The race to the World Series is on!

162 games and all the things that make this sport the greatest game ever invented: Baseball junkies Unite!

Edited May 26, 2008 by GoodSpeak

[Tim McG]

San Francisco's Home Opener: Monday 3/31 @ 1:10PM; Giants vs [the hated] Dodgers.

ESPN coverage, too

Edited March 24, 2008 by GoodSpeak

[Dan Gould]

Anyone else setting their alarms to catch the 6:07 AM first pitch tomorrow (and Wednesday)? Zen?

[Tim McG]

I have a student from Boston who will be asking if we can watch the game....9AM out West.

We just might sneak a peak or two during class

[WorldB3]

As much as I love Baseball its pretty depressing that the four playoff spots in the American League have already been bought by Boston, Detroit, New York and Anahiem (if their starting pitching has injuries Seattle may make a run at them) and that Bud Selig is not in jail for crimes against the sport.

Add the fact that my A's are being treated like the Washington Generals in Japan right now and when they come back to the Bay Area (having to change their schedule for the benefit of the Red Sox from a weekday night game to a day game, ticket holders be damned) to accommodate the Evil Empire Lite its hard to be excited.

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year there is not much to get excited about in the Bay Area but yes baseball is still poetry and at least the A's will fun to watch though I don't expect them to make any kind of run this year.

Edited March 24, 2008 by WorldB3

[Tim McG]

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year

I got $20 bucks sez you're wrong.

NL West will once again be the most competitive Division in baseball. Giants may not win it all, but they'll be in the mix. And you can bet the ranch on it.

[Dan Gould]

As much as I love Baseball its pretty depressing that the four playoff spots in the American League have already been bought by Boston, Detroit, New York and Anahiem (if their starting pitching has injuries Seattle may make a run at them) and that Bud Selig is not in jail for crimes against the sport.

Add the fact that my A's are being treated like the Washington Generals in Japan right now and when they come back to the Bay Area (having to change their schedule for the benefit of the Red Sox from a weekday night game to a day game, ticket holders be damned) to accommodate the Evil Empire Lite its hard to be excited.

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year there is not much to get excited about in the Bay Area but yes baseball is still poetry and at least the A's will fun to watch though I don't expect them to make any kind of run this year.

Do something in the playoffs, like maybe win it all sometime, and you won't get the Washington Generals treatment. Instead, you'll be the star attraction. And don't tell me that the "system" propagated by Bud Selig keeps the small market teams from winning - before the Red Sox won in 2007, there had been seven straight different World Champions. The A's players have no problem being the "other team", why does it offend you so much?

As for the schedule change, I believe there are requirements in the Player's Agreement about late games on "getaway days" - at least the A's start at home and don't have another trip like the Red Sox do to Toronto before having their home opener. In other words, it wasn't "The Evil Empire Lite" that forced this change in start times. MLB was forced to make the change by the Player's Agreement.

And last but not least, its a 162 game season. The Bay teams may be hopeless this season but the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers & Angels hardly have locks on the post-season.

[WorldB3]

As much as I love Baseball its pretty depressing that the four playoff spots in the American League have already been bought by Boston, Detroit, New York and Anahiem (if their starting pitching has injuries Seattle may make a run at them) and that Bud Selig is not in jail for crimes against the sport.

Add the fact that my A's are being treated like the Washington Generals in Japan right now and when they come back to the Bay Area (having to change their schedule for the benefit of the Red Sox from a weekday night game to a day game, ticket holders be damned) to accommodate the Evil Empire Lite its hard to be excited.

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year there is not much to get excited about in the Bay Area but yes baseball is still poetry and at least the A's will fun to watch though I don't expect them to make any kind of run this year.

Do something in the playoffs, like maybe win it all sometime, and you won't get the Washington Generals treatment. Instead, you'll be the star attraction. And don't tell me that the "system" propagated by Bud Selig keeps the small market teams from winning - before the Red Sox won in 2007, there had been seven straight different World Champions. The A's players have no problem being the "other team", why does it offend you so much?

As for the schedule change, I believe there are requirements in the Player's Agreement about late games on "getaway days" - at least the A's start at home and don't have another trip like the Red Sox do to Toronto before having their home opener. In other words, it wasn't "The Evil Empire Lite" that forced this change in start times. MLB was forced to make the change by the Player's Agreement.

And last but not least, its a 162 game season. The Bay teams may be hopeless this season but the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers & Angels hardly have locks on the post-season.

Well the A's do have four World Titles in my lifetime and a ton of division titles. I have a problem with the whole trip and its disruptive nature to the schedule. Why play two games that count and come back and play exhibitions?

My problem with Selig has a lot more to do with revenue sharing.

Yes its a long season but it would be a huge upset if the Sox, Yanks and Tigers don't make the playoffs. Hopefully some team will surprise us all like the 05 Wt Sox or Rockies last year in the NL.

[zen archer]

Anyone else setting their alarms to catch the 6:07 AM first pitch tomorrow (and Wednesday)? Zen?

I will be UP at 6:00 Sharp to watch the game !!!!!!!!!........I'll have to eat my wheaties

with beer.

[WorldB3]

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year

I got $20 bucks sez you're wrong.

NL West will once again be the most competitive Division in baseball. Giants may not win it all, but they'll be in the mix. And you can bet the ranch on it.

Hope your right, hard to do a youth movement when the youth aside from starting pitching doesn't have any talent.

[Dan Gould]

Anyone else setting their alarms to catch the 6:07 AM first pitch tomorrow (and Wednesday)? Zen?

I will be UP at 6:00 Sharp to watch the game !!!!!!!!!........I'll have to eat my wheaties

with beer.

I gotta factor in time to get the dogs out and fed - I'm thinking 5:50, with an extra early bedtime tonight. Hopefully Dice K won't be extra amped up pitching in front of the home country. Would be great if he came up with one of his classic Japan League performances.

[Quincy]

Yes its a long season but it would be a huge upset if the Sox, Yanks and Tigers don't make the playoffs. Hopefully some team will surprise us all like the 05 Wt Sox or Rockies last year in the NL.

I don't think the Tigers have a lock on things. And while the odds are longer, I don't think Boston or New York has a spot guaranteed either. For instance Boston went from having too many starters last December to losing Schilling for 1/2 the year, Beckett having back problems, Bochholz getting bombed in spring training, and Lester being wild in spring too. Not to put too much on spring training, but it's enough to cause the BoSox fan's heart to sputter. A similar list of doubts can be listed about the Yankees or other teams, which is "why we play the games."

While it's foolish I've talked myself into enough "ifs" happening in favor for the Mariners to maybe win the West. It takes a lot, but it could happen.

[Dan Gould]

Yes its a long season but it would be a huge upset if the Sox, Yanks and Tigers don't make the playoffs. Hopefully some team will surprise us all like the 05 Wt Sox or Rockies last year in the NL.

I don't think the Tigers have a lock on things. And while the odds are longer, I don't think Boston or New York has a spot guaranteed either. For instance Boston went from having too many starters last December to losing Schilling for 1/2 the year, Beckett having back problems, Bochholz getting bombed in spring training, and Lester being wild in spring too. Not to put too much on spring training, but it's enough to cause the BoSox fan's heart to sputter.

I don't think anyone is too concerned about Beckett, but they are being overcautious, as they often are. He'll be ready for the fifth game against the Blue Jays. Lester has looked better and better this spring, but Buchholz does have me a little concerned. He's still young and you can't make assumptions based on a single remarkable performance. But that is why I am cautiously optimistic about the Colon signing. He's healthy so far and showing excellent arm strength, much better than he had in winter ball. I wouldn't want him to face the Yanks with the pennant on the line but I think he could be the steal of the season. I think they'll be just as cautious though with him, meaning that I bet that Clay starts the season as the number five starter, but his performance in April will determine whether he stays there or they bring up Colon (Colon's opt-out date is May 1). They may even bring up Colon and send Buchholz to AAA so that they can monitor his innings more strictly. As for Schill, it seems to me it should be apparent very soon whether or not the rest and rehab program has a chance to work. He's got to get the green light to throw at some point soon - either he throws and feels OK or the pain is just as bad, meaning that he should have had surgery now and give up on the season.

While it's foolish I've talked myself into enough "ifs" happening in favor for the Mariners to maybe win the West. It takes a lot, but it could happen.

If the offense produces, I think that the M's have a legit chance. They out-performed their Pythag last year, maybe this time, with a lot fewer runs allowed, they'll actually have a legitimately good run differential.

[Tim McG]

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year

I got $20 bucks sez you're wrong.

NL West will once again be the most competitive Division in baseball. Giants may not win it all, but they'll be in the mix. And you can bet the ranch on it.

Hope your right, hard to do a youth movement when the youth aside from starting pitching doesn't have any talent.

Oh, I think there is a fair amount of talent amongst the veterans to make a better than .500 ballclub out of the Giants this year. Although, I don't hold out any hope for a championship of any kind.

My 2008 Mantra: Finish ahead of the Dodgers. Anything better will be welcomed, but most unexpected.

[PHILLYQ]

As much as I love Baseball its pretty depressing that the four playoff spots in the American League have already been bought by Boston, Detroit, New York and Anahiem (if their starting pitching has injuries Seattle may make a run at them) and that Bud Selig is not in jail for crimes against the sport.

Add the fact that my A's are being treated like the Washington Generals in Japan right now and when they come back to the Bay Area (having to change their schedule for the benefit of the Red Sox from a weekday night game to a day game, ticket holders be damned) to accommodate the Evil Empire Lite its hard to be excited.

Add the fact that the Giants will lose 115-125 games this year there is not much to get excited about in the Bay Area but yes baseball is still poetry and at least the A's will fun to watch though I don't expect them to make any kind of run this year.

I'm a Yankee fan and it wouldn't surprise me if the Yanks don't make the playoffs this year. There are two young starters(Hughes & Kennedy), one over the hill(Mussina), one now with back problems(Pettite). Sure they'll score lots of runs, but pitching is the name of the game as it always is. Detroit I think will be much better with the addition of Dontrelle Willis and Cabrera, Cleveland will improve, the Angels are very good and the Bosox are the reigning champs. When the music stops the Yanks may be the team without a seat. It should be interesting to see what happens.

As I recall, when the Yanks opened the season in Japan they had to do the same thing, play games that counted followed by exhibition games. It's the $$$$!

[Dan Gould]

The whole idea is to give the two teams a chance to have their bodies readjust before having to play games that count. So the first two games are early, they come back and have a few exhibition games, and then the season starts again.

(in fact I heard that they are playing a game or two at the LA Colliseum which I guess is not designed for baseball - LF will be something like 200 feet from home plate or something(?) ... and they've sold 100,000 tickets for both games.

[Quincy]

(in fact I heard that they are playing a game or two at the LA Colliseum which I guess is not designed for baseball - LF will be something like 200 feet from home plate or something(?) ... and they've sold 100,000 tickets for both games.

The Dodgers played there for a few years when they moved from Brooklyn. "Moon shots" meant something else there - named for Wally Moon's short "blasts" over the LF fence.

An old computer game (Earl Weaver baseball) included the park (or maybe I "built" it) and it was always a nutty experience. A couple of pictures here and some details, though surely better can be found through more digging.

[BERIGAN]

How's the Red Sox nation doing this early morn???

[Dan Gould]

How's the Red Sox nation doing this early morn???

How the fuck should I know? DirecTV isn't feeding ESPN2.

[Chalupa]

Just looking at the box score - Dice has 5 walks in 4 innings?? I guess he's a little nervous??

[Dan Gould]

Just looking at the box score - Dice has 5 walks in 4 innings?? I guess he's a little nervous??

Four of those walks were in the first two innings, along with a hit batsman and wild pitch.

And sixty pitches to get through those two innings. Exactly what you wanted to see in 2008 from the 103 million dollar man.

At least he improved after that, throwing 35 pitches over the last three innings, and he did only allow two hits. Too bad Snyder blew the win for him in the sixth.

Pretty exciting game with Ellsbury making a Web Gem play and Brandon Moss hitting a homer off the closer to send it to extras. Too bad I can't enjoy the highlights since DirecTV is still off. After Moss hit his homer, there was a feed for about two minutes, and now its gone again. Un-fucking-believable.

If there is no signal on ESPN2 tonight, there's no way I am waking up at 6 AM again tomorrow.

[Dan Gould]

MANNY RAMIREZ!!!!

Rumors of his decline phase may be exaggerated.

[zen archer]

Manny is going to have a MONSTER of a year , he is in the best shape of his career. He worked

hard in the off season

Just wish he would RUN after he hits the ball .......He stood there for what seemed like 5 minutes

why didn't he just take out a camera and snap a picture???

It was a pretty good game , i got up at 5 to 6 .....tired .....do it again tomorrow,

[Van Basten II]

Did not want to start a thread about so i'll ask you in this one.

I have a bunch of old baseball encyclopedias (from 1990s and early 2000s) that i want to get rid. Total Baseball, a few Old Major League ones, the Big Stats books, is there a market for these things ?

I know i could just put them on Ebay but before i go to the trouble of the shipping and packaging that comes with it, these things are huge are heavy, is it really worth it ?

[Dan Gould]

Did not want to start a thread about so i'll ask you in this one.

I have a bunch of old baseball encyclopedias (from 1990s and early 2000s) that i want to get rid. Total Baseball, a few Old Major League ones, the Big Stats books, is there a market for these things ?

I know i could just put them on Ebay but before i go to the trouble of the shipping and packaging that comes with it, these things are huge are heavy, is it really worth it ?

I would doubt it because they become out of date over time. Certainly not a market to be "vintage" I don't think. I'd check on Ebay and Amazon Marketplace to see what the typical selling or offering prices are.