It's New! It's Improved! It's the Official Annual Off-Topic Baseball Thread!!

[rockyroad]

Really don't blink this time - but the M's now have the best record in the AL!!!!

Griffey hits his first Safeco homer for the M's...Ichiro with a grand slam...Chavez has hit safely in all 9 games...M's are 7-2!! It's been a while since the M's had a winning record after the first couple weeks of the season. They are actually fun to watch again!

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

It's been a while since the M's had a winning record after the first couple weeks of the season. They are actually fun to watch again!

And it's been a while (about 15 years) since the Sox have gotten off to this bad of a start. Wake no-hits the A's for 7 innings and goes for the complete game yesterday. Nice way to finish up a horrendous road trip. The offense has been terrible, and Dice-K is already on the DL. When your arm is "fatigued" before Tax Day (let's hear it for the WBC!!), you're not going to have a good season.

And a 6-game suspension for Beckett? That's ludicrous. If the benches hadn't cleared, he wouldn't have gotten anything at all. The suspension is b/c of the Angels' reaction, nothing more; and that's stupid. It wasn't even all that close to the batter, who was already backing out of the box.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

And it's been a while (about 15 years) since the Sox have gotten off to this bad of a start. Wake no-hits the A's for 7 innings and goes for the complete game yesterday. Nice way to finish up a horrendous road trip. The offense has been terrible, and Dice-K is already on the DL. When your arm is "fatigued" before Tax Day (let's hear it for the WBC!!), you're not going to have a good season.

And a 6-game suspension for Beckett? That's ludicrous. If the benches hadn't cleared, he wouldn't have gotten anything at all. The suspension is b/c of the Angels' reaction, nothing more; and that's stupid. It wasn't even all that close to the batter, who was already backing out of the box.

Yeah, but...the plate umpire had called time, and Beckett threw anyway. And threw awfully close to the batter's head - especially considering that the batter was already backing up. Looked pretty bad from where I was sitting - keeping in mind that I really don't like Boston that much, of course.

[Nevadaref]

Already this season TWO players have hit for the cycle!
Of course, there have also been a couple of near no-hitters.

Fun start to the season.

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Nevada is tied for second with Florida State, Oklahoma and Stanford for the most players from an NCAA Division I school playing major league baseball this season, according to CollegeBaseballInsider.com.
LSU leads the way with eight big-leaguers.

The former players who are on major league rosters are Corky Miller (Chicago White Sox), Lyle Overbay (Toronto), Chad Qualls (Arizona), Ryan Church (NY Mets), Kevin Kouzmanoff (San Diego), Eddie Bonine (Detroit) and Chris Dickerson (Cincinnati).

Didn't Matt Williams come from your neck of the woods ?

I believe he went south to play ball....

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Today, MTD, Jr., and I umpired a boys' H.S. freshmen baseball game today (Apr. 16/Thu.). The game was played at Wapakoneta (Ohio) H.S. which is near Ohio Northern University (where Mark goes to school). Mark was home for Easter Break last weekend and umpired a H.S. JV game while home. He left his plate shoes (size 13, just wait for it later in the post) at home because I told him I would shine them for him when I shined mine.

Note: When we umpire together, Mark always (well almost always, and no J. Dallas Shirley jokes please) works tha plate, after all, why should I get beat up behind the plate when I have a 19 year old son that can get beat up behind the plate.

I picked up Mark at school and we proceeded the game site. When we got there we discovered that I had forgot to pack Mark's plate shoes (but I hadn't forgot mine), and since mine are size 9, I ended up working the plate. And what a game it was, .

Game time was 05:00pmEDT, and Greenville H.S. did not show up until 04:50pm meaning we did not start until 05:20pm. We fiinshed the 6th inning at 07:55pm with the scored tied at 9-all, and sunset at 08:17pm. We decided to try to complete the game and Greenville H.S. scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th but by this time it was 08:16pm and we (the umpires and coaches agreed to suspend the game due to darkness). And a good time was had by all, .

The game fee was $50 per umpire and Mark and I spent almost $30 total on dinner, .

Our next game together is on Mon., Apr. 27th and I am going to make sure his plate shoes are in the van, .

Good night all.

MTD, Sr.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Prediction - Nats will win a game by the end of April.

Nats Win!!!! Nats Win!!!!

(With all due respect to Cubs fans and the late Harry Caray).

[mbyron]

Indians 10 - Yankees 2. Way to open the new stadium. Ouch.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Indians 10 - Yankees 2. Way to open the new stadium. Ouch.

Did anyone else see on the news or hear about the Pepsi Free Ticket give-away debacle in NY yesterday? A near riot ensued.

BOTTOM LINE if you didn't: Pepsi apparently announced free tickets were to be given out at a certain location in the city. (Note - Some of the Opening Day Tickets were going for THOUSANDS of dollars each (read - several games of refereeing. ). People arrived very early and formed long lines in the middle of the city for the tickets......only to be informed many hrs later they were at the wrong location. Many ran across town to another location, in the middle of traffic through the city, etc......only to be dissappointed again as this location was apparently changed for security reasons. When finally located, it turns out: A) The tickets were NOT for Opening Day, and B) There were not as many tickets as previosuly thought.....many were shutout. Hence, a bunch of tired, pissed off people who are at this point not very fond of Pepsi and began smashing "free" Pepsi products that were distributed.....ah, NY!

[M&M Guy]

I'm guessing Pepsi is taking applications for a regional marketing manager this morning.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I'm guessing Pepsi is taking applications for a regional marketing manager this morning.

The national news show I watched interviewed what I would consider a somewhat shell shocked Pepsi PR person on the scene who said there was apparently some "miscommunication." Ya think?

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Strange and exciting things already happening this season.

I wonder what else can happen that hasn't happened in a long time?...

Padgett has an OT game?

[mick]

The nine-time All-Star hit a full-count pitch an estimated 385 feet for his first hit and homer of the season for the New York Mets after being cut by the Detroit Tigers the last week of spring training.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by mick

The nine-time All-Star hit a full-count pitch an estimated 385 feet for his first hit and homer of the season for the New York Mets after being cut by the Detroit Tigers the last week of spring training.

Look for him to announce his retirement in the next week.

[Nevadaref]

Another cycle already.

"Jason Kubel completed the ninth cycle in Twins' history with a go-ahead grand slam (fifth of career) to cap off a seven-run eighth inning for Minnesota. Kubel had five RBIs to lift the Twins to their fifth win."