Since it's the only game in town tonight, you can chat about the White Sox-Cleveland game here if you'd like.
I don't intend on posting too many game chats except when there's just one game around. Or if it's the postseason and one of our sectarian blogs isn't covering it.
Random Game Callbacks, which were a feature of Dodger Thoughts last year, will return on April 15. They will be a little different this year as they will cover all teams available and they will go back to 1871.
I have tried to put a link to the preseason predictions on the side, but I don't know if I did it right or if it takes a while for those sections to get updated.
Oy, well I guess we can wait til the rest of the teams start up tomorrow, that's the official "Opening Day" versus "Opening Night" according to Selig and MLB, isn't it?
Bob looks a little like the Celebrity Poker guy (not Dave Foley, the other one) on Bravo. But with wilder eyes. Like they were transplanted from an executed serial killer.
First hit of the season is a dribbler up the third base line by World Series MVP Dye that Sabathia and Boone let roll and stayed fair. Hardest hit ball of the night after two is a foul by Joe Crede. Combined we're one batter over the limit after two and Sabathia has three Ks.
Aaron Boone gets the season's first clean single. Casey Blake walks. Sizemore moves Boone to third via a fielder's choice, meanwhile the announcers are ignoring the action in favor of talking about Selig's steroid investigation . . .
But then Joe Morgan mention's Howard Bryant's "Juicing the Game"! Awesome.
Sabathia's out of the game due to an unknown injury in the fourth in the middle of the Sox two-run (thus far) rally. Yikes.
Incidentally, Michaels almost made a brilliant play on Anderson's double, running full speed and leaping only to have the ball pop out of his top of his webbing.
I knew Graves was born in Vietnam, but I didn't realize he's part (half?) Vietnamese. I guess I've only seen his mug shots and never seen him in a game before.
Inning over on a fielder's choice 3-0 Sox, heart of the Cle order due up.
Travis Hafner's gameday picture makes him look like Vin Diesel. And how does a conditioned, athletic guy like Jhonny Peralta have such a round, fat face?
In the first, Morgan criticizes Iguchi playing in shallow right on Hafner despite him making the play to retire him. Now in the fourth, Iguchi playing in shallow right on Hafner allows Iguchi to retire lead-runner Peralta despite the ball being hit closer to first than second, but Morgan fails to mention that it was the result of positioning.
My fantasy catcher, Victor Martinez hits a double off the wall to plate Hafner from first. Lefty killer Eduardo Perez homers to tie it. Perez was a huge pickup for the Tribe.
Anyhow,for rain delay discussion purposes, has the intensity and relentlessness of the web-driven offseason changed/lessened/enhanced the excitment of Opening Day? For me, it feels this year (and last) like much less of a return of baseball, because baseball has been so present during these offseasons (much more so than in years past). But I am so much better informed about the team, that I have a lot more excitement/interest in the particulars.
I'm feeling the loss of Paul DePodesta right now, though. His leadership quite engaged me; current management, not so much. Working to keep an open mind, of course.
I never felt DePodesta was a leader ... I always viewed him as hiding behind his computer making deals. Honestly, I liked him a lot. That's just the way I viewed him.
63 Well, I suppose reports that he wasn't a rah rah guy or even a speechgiver can be taken as accurate (though none of us were there), but "leading" can mean a lot of different things. I lead teams at work in a pretty low-key way; work hard and do my job well (I hope), be clear with others what I expect and what I don't; give lots of credit to everyone on the team; trust people to handle the things they know best. I think that comes out as a form of leading, and it seems to me that's pretty close to what DePodesta did.
I certainly don't want to set Bob's site ablaze with an examination of the DePodesta Dodgers (There's a place for that -- http://tinyurl.com/8roat!). And I'm not at all saying that DePodesta's decisions were all good. But for me his tenure made following the team more interesting and engaging. I realize he made other fans and some newspaper writers quite miserable, of course (not you, I understand).
Actually I think I do agree with you Sam: between the near-constant high level of conversation here and over at DT, and just the presence of the World Baseball Classic as something to follow for a few weeks of spring training, it does seem like this offseason has been much shorter than many others. Maybe not shorter than the year they had those openers in Tokyo that were like a week ahead of the rest of the "Opening Day"s, or 2001-02 when the season did not end until November anyways, but it certainly does feel like much more of a year-round sport since I've been so connected online.
Though I will say, as much as Rob Schnieder's movies are a blight upon society, that was decent rain delay entertainment if only because it was a candid look at a major league club including Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.
This game is a disaster. A 200-plus-minute rain delay, Cabrera and Graves throwing crap, Sabathia hurt, Buehrle bounced by the delay, it's still pouring. Just awful.
Sweet mercy, Cabrera's getting the hook. Also, I see Casey Blake is already in mid-season form in right, making his first error of the year. Rain schmain, he's a terrible baseball player.
I just want to say that I expect to enjoy the Random Game Callback feature even more now that the subjects have expanded beyond the Dodgers (not that there was anything wrong with that!).
I question how random they'll be, however. I expect to read about Dizzy Dean's sticking his foot out to block Earl Averill's line drive, thus shortening Dean's career dramatically. Or Harvey Haddix's 12-inning no-hitter. Or Tony Cloninger's two-grand-slam game.
E-mail me, Bob, I've got millions of suggestions. ;)
Wow, a brother spends a few hours working and the game not only has started but the Bitch Sox are up seven? I swear it was just minutes ago that I checked and the game was still in rain delay.
Thanks. As far as Gamecast is concerned, Konerko just flied out to Michaels on a pitch delivered from Thornton to Hafner on a 2-2 count in the top of the inning.
This game had the makings of a showcase of the best of baseball and it's turned into the worst of baseball. Oh well. I think I'm delerious, I just saw Aaron Boone work an 0-2 count full.
Game over. The White Sox remain the best team in baseball for another night.
Well, I guess that's that. I suppose it's appropriate that the Indians' first loss of the season is closed out by Aaron Boone. Emotional damage he's done to me aside, the man is not very good at baseball anymore. Cleveland will be better off once Marte's up and Boone's in the ashbin.
Now it's time to Elizabeth Bishop myself to sleep.
So if you like what you're reading, you can send me a $10 and a $20.
Think of me as Caesar. I need something rendered unto me.
If I run across some currency bearing your likeness, I will render it unto you post haste.
(Come to think of it, I'm not familiar with your likeness, so that plan may not work so well)
Hmmm...I had always pictured you as an FDR look-alike...
I do look good in a cape and smoking with a cigarette holder.
Don't we all.
But then Joe Morgan mention's Howard Bryant's "Juicing the Game"! Awesome.
You know, I think I do look like that guy a little.
At least Sam Ryan stopped telling her pointless story during that play.
http://tinyurl.com/n9by8
Gotta love this OZZIEBALL!!!
Incidentally, Michaels almost made a brilliant play on Anderson's double, running full speed and leaping only to have the ball pop out of his top of his webbing.
Danny Graves is in the game. Yikes.
And Joe Morgan and Buster Olney will tell you about it.
Inning over on a fielder's choice 3-0 Sox, heart of the Cle order due up.
MLB.com changed its home page.
CNN.com changed its home page.
The New York Times changed all of its pages except the home page.
51 - Are those redesigns as ugly as MLB.com's?
My fantasy catcher, Victor Martinez hits a double off the wall to plate Hafner from first. Lefty killer Eduardo Perez homers to tie it. Perez was a huge pickup for the Tribe.
http://tinyurl.com/nj4gm
57 - Wow. Just....wow. --no comment--
Aaaand now it's time to do hw. Hmph.
http://tinyurl.com/n9by8
Anyhow,for rain delay discussion purposes, has the intensity and relentlessness of the web-driven offseason changed/lessened/enhanced the excitment of Opening Day? For me, it feels this year (and last) like much less of a return of baseball, because baseball has been so present during these offseasons (much more so than in years past). But I am so much better informed about the team, that I have a lot more excitement/interest in the particulars.
I'm feeling the loss of Paul DePodesta right now, though. His leadership quite engaged me; current management, not so much. Working to keep an open mind, of course.
I certainly don't want to set Bob's site ablaze with an examination of the DePodesta Dodgers (There's a place for that -- http://tinyurl.com/8roat!). And I'm not at all saying that DePodesta's decisions were all good. But for me his tenure made following the team more interesting and engaging. I realize he made other fans and some newspaper writers quite miserable, of course (not you, I understand).
The radar maps look bad for Chicago.
Actually I think I do agree with you Sam: between the near-constant high level of conversation here and over at DT, and just the presence of the World Baseball Classic as something to follow for a few weeks of spring training, it does seem like this offseason has been much shorter than many others. Maybe not shorter than the year they had those openers in Tokyo that were like a week ahead of the rest of the "Opening Day"s, or 2001-02 when the season did not end until November anyways, but it certainly does feel like much more of a year-round sport since I've been so connected online.
Though I will say, as much as Rob Schnieder's movies are a blight upon society, that was decent rain delay entertainment if only because it was a candid look at a major league club including Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.
And Sabathia was diagnosed with an abdominal strain.
Stoopid rain. Could screw up the Yanks-A's game tomorrow too.
I would have thought as much, but the rain appears to have let up quite a bit. But maybe they'll call the game anyway because it's late.
...they aren't actually booing Iguchi, are they?
I question how random they'll be, however. I expect to read about Dizzy Dean's sticking his foot out to block Earl Averill's line drive, thus shortening Dean's career dramatically. Or Harvey Haddix's 12-inning no-hitter. Or Tony Cloninger's two-grand-slam game.
E-mail me, Bob, I've got millions of suggestions. ;)
April 19 will be a good one.
Basically when I look through all the games available, I try to pick the one that has the most written about in the papers I can get access to.
I think the 1870s will be a problem.
1) Jesus in a Yankees uni. Gag me with a spoon.
2) "Jayson Stark says the Yankees will rule in 2006" There's a shocker.
"Did I get it? Did I get it?"
Game over. The White Sox remain the best team in baseball for another night.
Chicago 10, Cleveland 4 -- FINAL
And did they ever say what kind of fighter jets those were that did the flyover?
Now it's time to Elizabeth Bishop myself to sleep.
Good choice.
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