This Week in Baseball 4/5 - 4/12

[Master Thrasher]

Angels won today. I wonder how the rest of their season goes from here.

 

[Smues]

Braves still won but again the bullpen made it fun. Damn rain knocked Lowe out after 3 innings, but on the upside before the rain delay they had Pete Van Weiren in the booth on TV for awhile as he was there to be honored before the game. I miss Pete.

 

[alkeiper]

I'm disappointed that minor league ticket prices seem to have taken a leap forward this season. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is selling most of their lower seats for $14. Trenton is running $12 for their best seats, while Reading is charging $11 and Binghamton is charging $10. And they don't carry the burden of player costs so they can't fall back on that as an excuse.

Oddly, Lehigh Valley opted not to increase prices. Williamsport is still charging $7. And Williamsport's $5.25 for general admission and free parking is easily the best value in eastern Pennsylvania.

 

[Bored]

I got to see Brett Anderson's MLB debut last night at the A's Opening Night, which will be pretty cool if actually ends being a great pitcher. He was fantastic for five of the six innings he pitched but problem was he gave up five runs in the 2nd innings which ended up being the ballgame.

The game had the most depressing pregame ceremony I've ever been to as they did a lengthy tribute to the four Oakland cops who were killed a few weeks ago. Also we were stuck next to some douche with a cowbell the majority of the night but still had fun.

 

[treble]

Almost everything is going right for the Jays right now. It's going to really suck when things go back to normal.

 

[naiwf]

Cliff Lee started last year 22-2, and unless Halladay does something unexpected he will have 2 losses in his first two starts of the season.

 

[jimmy no nose]

This relief pitcher for the Reds Herrera is listed at 5'6", but I'm looking at him and there's no way he's more than 5'2". He's one of the shortest guys I've ever seen in a professional game.

 

[alkeiper]

This relief pitcher for the Reds Herrera is listed at 5'6", but I'm looking at him and there's no way he's more than 5'2". He's one of the shortest guys I've ever seen in a professional game.

Daniel Ray Herrera. Baseball America in 2007 acknowledged that he may be the smallest pitcher ever drafted.

 

[Smues]

Arizona will host the 2011 all-star game. Their stadium is nice, it's just very bland there's nothing really impressive or standout about it.

 

[geniusMoment]

The Reds really suck. That is all.

 

[Vitamin X]

The game had the most depressing pregame ceremony I've ever been to as they did a lengthy tribute to the four Oakland cops who were killed a few weeks ago. Also we were stuck next to some douche with a cowbell the majority of the night but still had fun.

Did they also give a tribute to the kid who the Oakland BART cops killed on New Year's? Because that'd be pretty awesome irony.

 

[jwest27]

Two homers and 7 RBIs for Pujols so far. Fuck yes.

 

[devo]

Can't watch the Mets game 'cause MLB.tv thinks it's 6:26 instead of 7:26, and customer service is so fucking incompetent that I'd rather just listen to the radio broadcast than try to deal with them again.

 

[jimmy no nose]

Not a good start for Jeff Niemann after winning that 5th starter spot. That's 3 grand slams I've seen today. How many were there around the league prior to today? Just Cabrera's?

 

[snuffbox]

How can a Brewers-Cubs game not be on television?

 

[Dobbs3K]

It was on WMLW because of a meaningless Bucks/Thunder game on FSN.

Brewers had the game, but freaking Soriano ended up winning it for the Cubs. Brewers need Hoffman to get healthy quick, because Carlos Villanueva is a middle reliever, not a closer. Also, Braun and Fielder were quite anti-clutch in the 9th, with Corey Hart on 1st. Fielder didn't even swing his bat.

Doesn't make me look forward to going to the game tomorrow night.

 

[still fly]

Juan Pierre sighting tonight! And he starts tommorrow!

 

[Smues]

Juan for four still plays even with manny on the team? Color me surprised.

 

[still fly]

Yes, BEAST MODE will probably play center. Manny and Pierre in the outfield is going to be awesome.

Did you Yankee fans ever question ol' Joe's decision making at this point in the season? His management of the bullpen at times is very concerning.

 

[Smues]

Chan Ho Park gave up 4 runs in the first and 5 through 2 innings. This should not surprise anyone. The Phillies really couldn't find a better 5th starter?

 

[Precious Roy]

Did you Yankee fans ever question ol' Joe's decision making at this point in the season? His management of the bullpen at times is very concerning.

Yes

 

[tominator89]

Matt Stairs is awesome!

 

[zio]

Chan Ho Park gave up 4 runs in the first and 5 through 2 innings. This should not surprise anyone. The Phillies really couldn't find a better 5th starter?

He beasted the other three potential fifth starters in spring training. He had a 2.something ERA.

 

[alkeiper]

Seconding what zio said. Park had such a ridiculous Spring that he could not be denied.

The Phillies' AAA team in Lehigh Valley is again unbelieveably bad. They got swept at home by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open up the season, by a combined score of 39-13. Only Carlos Carrasco has failed to suck on the pitching end.

 

[alkeiper]

I don't know if anyone caught this. The rare "fourth out" rule bit the Diamondbacks and gave the Dodgers a run.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090412&content_id=4239682&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la

 

[alkeiper]

Quality game between the Cubs and Brewers tonight. Reed Johnson collected a season highlight by robbing a grand slam home run.

 

[jimmy no nose]

Did we set the 1 week record for runs walked in this week? It has to be close, right?

The Pirates turned the season's first triple play today, but I hope they don't end up showing that highlight more than the great double play Jack Wilson started earlier in the game.

 

[snuffbox]

What is so compelling to Milwaukee managers to leave Jeff Suppan no matter how badly he's pitching. Does the guy have pictures of Ken Macha fucking Ned Yost?

 

[Czech]

That wasn't a quality game, Al. I hope never to watch another Cubs-Brewers game all year if they're gonna be like the last three. Sloppy bullshit all around (I loved Reed's robbery but how that subsequent drilling from Julio Jorge™ wasn't an ejection I'll never know), topped off with another ride on the Greggercoaster just to really send the fans home happy.
"We feel it's time to set Kerry free and let him get the big contact he deserves."
"Actually I'll take a big pay cut so I don't have to move."
"No no no that's quite all right, move along, make way for Sport Goggles!"

Leaving Suppan in to chuck the ball that blindly was indefensible on the part of Macha and Castro, yes. Everyone involved needs to abandon the misguided notion of Big Game Soup and realize he's a 4th or 5th starter. In the other dugout, lol, Milton Bradley's already hurt.

 

[Smues]

Atlanta has played six games this season, and is about to have their third day off. Odd.