WARNING! Off-topic! Do NOT read if you are at all offended by baseball threads!!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Mussina starts, the Yankees have the home field advantage thanks to Matsui, and they still give up 15 hits and 8 runs to -- the Devil Rays!! (Hmmmm, I seem to remember the Sox losing to the Rays on Opening Day last year. . .)

Course it doesn't help when your biggest big-ticket acquisition takes backward K's in his first 2 at bats, and also knocks your long-reliever (Quantrill) out of the game by running into him on a defensive play.

Giambi didn't look bad, tho. I wasn't awake to see his 1st inning homer, but I saw his liner off the wall for a double. Of course, he let a lazy pick-off move go right through his legs on defense. . .

Ahhhhhh, yes. First real baseball I've watched since the ALCS. Can we really call it "real" baseball, when it's played in Japan, at a time when nobody in either team's home market was awake to see the first pitch, in a dome that had all the atmosphere of a museum?

Doesn't matter, I guess. It was fun to watch, regardless.

Chuck:

I am not offended and while the major reason for the forum is to discuss in a scholarly and civilized manner basketball rules and mechanics, it is also a place for light-hearted banter and a chance for officials to communicate with each other about things that are happening in their lives.

In my heart the two greatest sports are basketball and golf, I love to watch baseball (even more so now, that our two sons have turned out to become accomplished first basemen; best described as good fielders, but they need to improve in the batter's box). I took up umpiring eleven years ago and I wished I had taken it up long before that because after basketball I really enjoy umpiring.

There are some people in this forum that are just old poops and really do not know how to enjoy life. The weather is finally starting to get better here in NW Ohio and I cannot wait to start playing golf. Today at 4:30pm, I have my first game of the Spring, a girls' H.S. jr. varsity fast pitch softball game and tomorrow I have a boys' H.S. jr. varsity baseball game to umpire.

And yes, I agree that it is hard to call it baseball when two teams, neither of whom are the Cincinatti Reds are playing in the first game of the season, and the game is being played in Japan. Whatever happened to tradition.

I was planning on being in Orlando for the IAABO Spring Meetings but I will now be in Hartford that weekend to officiate in the CT Starters' Girls' Spring Classic. The DoO usually has some officials from MA come down to officiate. If you are interested in officiating email me.

MTD, Sr.