Category: General MLB

Jamie Moyer

Tom Glavine

44 year old Jamie Moyer of the Philadelphia Phillies was matched up against 41 year old Tom Glavine of the New York Mets in a battle between the oldest lefties ever to square up against each other in baseball history. It was a match up that featured the oldest starting pitchers in a game since knucleballer Charlie Hough of the Florida Marlins was pitted against Frank Tanana of the NY Mets. It was said of Tanana, he threw in the 90s in the seventies and in the seventies in the 90s. Neither Moyer nor Glavine ever threw in the 90s, but they surely know how to pitch.

Despite two homers by Jimmy Rollins, Glavine got the better of Moyer on this night as the Mets beat Philadelphia 5-3. The last batter Jamie faced was Carlos Beltran with two outs & the bases loaded in the 6th. Beltran slammed his helmut down in disgust as Jamie blew a 78 MPH 3-2 heater passed him for strike three, swinging.

Wow, it Opening Day! I am SO excited. As baseball people we wait all season for day. We analyzed (and over-analyzed) off-season trades. We’ve all previewed and predicted teams and players in Spring Training. But now, the season has started and everything counts.

Ten Reasons why I love Opening Day

1. Wins, Losses and Stats Count.

2. I wear my team’s colors to work today.

3. Today, I can download and install MLB.TV Mosaic (watching it right now. Nice!).

4. There’s an unspoken bond between baseball fans today.

5. It may be MLB Opening Day but the University of Illinois has been playing for about a month now.

6. I can start following my APBA players now. Go Albert!

7. At least in the morning of Opening Day, the Cubs are undefeated. Woohoo!

8. We can start making fun of Tim McCarver.

9. I can start doing the Linescore of the Day for the Zealot.

10. Play Ball!!

Feel free to add your own…

Roy Oswalt & Lance Berkman

Roy Oswalt & Lance Berkman recently swept through NASA as part of the Houston Astros caravan. They visited and signed autographs till nobody was left wanting. Many thanks to my friend, photographer, Jim Pierce for the great picture.

Albert Pujols became a US citizen yesterday. Not only that, he scored 100% on his citizenship test.

Here is a copy of the test. It isn’t rocket science but I’ll wager some most almost all Americans who were born here couldn’t ace it.

Like the people in this video. The video would be funny if it weren’t true.

Anyway, congrats Albert!!

 

 

The news was good for Tom Glavine today.

What was thought to be a possible blood clot in his left shoulder turned out to be, after extensive testing, a less threatening buildup in an artery due to the long-term damage that can be created by pitching professionally for two decades.

He will be treated with medication instead of surgery.

Glavine is relieved, of course. A blood clot is serious business. Now he can continue pitching (after a short rest, he is tentatively scheduled to return September 1) and focus on the Mets pennant race and beyond. The potential loss of Glavine would have been a blow to the Mets’ chances in the playoffs. Now that he’s back, they have a greater chance especially considering Glavine’s post-season experience.

Another consideration is Glavine’s quest for 300 wins. He his 13 short right now. Though I’m sure it was furthest from his mind at the time, now that things are looking better, I would love to see him reach that milestone.

Glad to have you back, Tommy.

Mark Teixeira was robbed of a potential game-winning double and was tossed out of the game for his trouble.

Texas was down by a run with two outs in the ninth and two runners on. Teixeira, who was 0 for 4 with 3 Ks for the day, hit a line drive down the first base line which first base ump Tom Hallion ruled was foul.

Seeing Hallion’s call, Tex simply went ballistic. Not so much angry but unbelieving. Well ok, he was a bit angry too. But I was watching the game and I’d be a bit pissed too if I were him.

They played and replayed the Teixeira’s line drive and it was clear it landed squarely on the foul line. Anyone watching it could see the chalk spray up.

So Tex got himself booted from the game (by Hallion) as did Manager Buck Showalter and Mark DeRosa. Michael Young had been ejected earlier in the game.

Ranger owner Tom Hicks has gotten invloved in the foray. He’s been on the phone with Mr Selig.

“I’ve communicated my disappointment to the Commissioner,” Hicks said by phone from Dallas. “Umpires that make blatant mistakes, they need to be held accountable.”

San Francisco held on for the win 5-3.

Luis Gonzalez felt a bit miffed when team exec Ken Kendrick brought up speculations about use of performance enhancers by Gonzalez during a radio interview.

During the interview, Kendrick didn’t make any accusations but raised the rumors surrounding Gonzo:

“I’ll be blunt with you and say there have been certainly whispers about Luis Gonzalez. Because he’s such a high-profile guy and you can make a case of his numbers five years ago versus his numbers today and therefore he must have been doing something. Well, he’s also five years older.”

Gonzalez hit 57 homeruns in 2001, the D-backs championship year. That amount was a definite spike in his career.

Fellow Illowa APBA League members know I have an interest in Gonzo as he has been on my Twin City Thunderchickens since I drafted him in 1992. I stuck with him during his mediocre years till he blossomed as a hitter in 1999 when he hit .336 with 26 dingers. The next four years of 100 rbis and 25+ homeruns (including his 57 homer season in 2001) were definitely worth the wait.

The story I heard back then was that Gonzalez had changed his batting stance slightly and that accounted for his increased productivity. Not that he really has to explain himself but all he says now is “”It was a great year for me. That’s all I can say.”

As for Kendrick and his interview, this is what he had to say:

“I don’t have any suspicions about Luis Gonzalez. Any more than I would about any other player.”

Hmm… I suppose you could take that two different ways.

Frank Robinson… sensitive modern male or a sissy nancy boy?

Ok, that’s out of line.  I actually have a lot of respect for FRobbie.  Great player in his day and not a bad manager.  We’ll forget about the gun-brandishing episode.

But seriously, buck up and cut the tears Frankie.  I appreciate the sentiment but you’ve got a job to do and it would help if you would do it without turning on the waterworks.  I’m a pretty sensitive guy but let’s not get out of hand.  And if there are tears, let’s not display them for the nation to see. 

I think LeCroy handled the whole thing with class and professionalism.  He knew he wasn’t up to the task and did what was best for the team.

“I’m man enough to take it. I don’t think he should get that emotional about it,” LeCroy said. “Hey, he’s doing his job, just like I would do if I was in his position.”

Nats blog Federal Baseball has a hilarious take on the whole situation.

 

The new owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays has decided that the Devil must go.

As of 2007, the Tampa Bay team will most likely have a new nickname without the hellish influence. 

“When [new owner] Stu Sternberg came in, he said there was a need for dramatic change. One way for dramatic change is to change the name,” [team president] Silverman said.

After talking with fans in focus groups, the team learned there was a “negative association” with the terms, “Devil Rays,” and “devil,” Silverman said.

“When they liked something we did, they would refer to us as the Rays. If they were discussing a complaint or gripe, we were the Devil Rays,” Silverman said.

Let’s get real here.  These fans in these focus groups probably found a bigger “negative association” with the term “ineffective pitching”.

Maybe they should concentrate on signing some decent free agent arms instead of trying to appease a few unhappy patrons.