April 13, 2007
Our Blog Conclusion
Our blogging experience not only expanded our interests in the wonderful sport of baseball, but showed us the value of opinionated journal entries in today’s information technology-based world. Our goal at the onset of the blog was to create an environment to foster friendly baseball arguments between fans of various teams across the country. Complementing our individual posts with photographs, links to supplementary websites, and HTML-based formatting, we were able to successfully support our arguments and accomplish our initial goal.
At the beginning of the blog, it was fairly difficult to generate relevant topics of interest, since the baseball season had yet to begin. However, once the season started, it was easy to discuss team results, upcoming schedules, and controversial topics related to the baseball season.
Much has developed since the creation of the blog. Pre-season trash talking is now backed with concrete game results, controversial episodes such as Tony LaRussa DUI charge and the DirecTV scandal have come and gone, and the Major League Baseball season is fully underway. Over time, our blog entries have become more detailed and visually appealing as we have become well-versed in HTML formatting. Although our blog hasn’t extended to cover the entire season, it has given the reader a firm and informative introduction to the baseball season.
Posted by bryblum at 05:40 PM | Comments (0)
DEL.ICIO.US
Online Tagging
When I first discovered the del.icio.us I was unsure how it would be more beneficial for organizing important websites than my bookmarks, but over the course of my blogging assignment, I discovered many important features that I didn't initially anticipate.
The first important benefit that Delicous was able to offer me was the network feature. Sometimes when I was reading my group members posts I was interested to learn more information on the topic that they had been discussing and it was convenient to log into my delicious account and find the source of their information within their tags. Websites such as MLB.comoften contained the exact article that they had been referencing and I was able to learn more in order to create a articulate counter blog in response to their arguments.
Additionally, two weeks ago the motherboard on my laptop had problems and
I will certainly continue to use delicious in my daily life!
Posted by glazeben at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
Del.icio.us Usage
Is Delicious Overrated?
After using del.icio.us while blogging for the last 3 months, I was unable to use the two together to improve my experience. I very rarely looked at del.icio.us while creating my blog entries because I found information on sites that I had memorized, such as whitesox.comand mlb.com.
del.icio.us is very efficent is showing popular and recent sites that are tagged by other users. It also people to people to share sites to other users in their network. An third important feature is del.icio.us's ability to access your bookmarks at anywhere, as long as you have a computer and internet access.
Overall, I found blogging and del.icio.us useful, but the two did not supplement each other very well.
Posted by adamcole at 04:19 PM
Del.icio.us Review
The use of del.icio.us is undeniably a convenient way of organizing my favorites, and being able to access them from any computer is extremely useful. For our blog, however, I did not rely on the site as extensively as I had initially thought.
Because each blog pertained to current baseball news, I generally conducted some preliminary research prior to each entry. As such, I was already on espn.com, or newyorkyankees.com, when I was blogging, and did not need to use del.icio.us.
Had we chosen a broader topic, such as information technology, I can imagine del.icio.us would have been more helpful. In this case, I certainly would accessed my tags to come up with ideas for each entry. However, given the nature of our blog, del.icio.us did not play integral part in my entries.
Posted by schleifj at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2007
Wearing 42
When the MLB honors Jackie Robinson's legacy on April 15th, many players will be wearing #42. They retired Jackie's #42 in 1997 to honor his breaking of the color barrier.
There is a lot of controversy associated with Bud Selig's offer that all players can wear the number. The Dodgers, Jakie's team, will all be wearing 42 in honor. Many players have argued that this ignores the purpose of the gesture. They argue that mandating that players on the Dodgers that may or may not want to wear the jersey number defaces the value of his honor and should be a voluntary thing.
Another concern that many analyst have have for the event is that if only Black people are wearing the Jersey is that something that even Robinson would have appreciated? Tori Hunter was quoted as saying that Robinson would be rolling in his grave if he knew what was going on. In order to truly break down the color barrier it should be an all or none event.
Posted by glazeben at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)
In response to recent rumors that Twins ace Johan Santana turned down a two year extension on the current two years remaining on his contract two things have become clear.
1. Johan Santana was not offered 18 Million annually for two years after his current contract
2. Johan Santana wants to finish his career in a Twins uniform.
Since Santana made it clear earlier that the earlier the Twins act, the better chance they have to sign him it seems strange that they haven't made a more concious effort. In light of recent contracts such as Barry Zito's which is good for 7 years and 126 Million, there are a lot of questions in the clubhouse about how the Twins, a historically low payroll team will be able to afford him.
Posted by glazeben at 12:52 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2007
Big Win
The Sox took the field today after a devastating 2-1 lose to the Oakland A's last night by giving up 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. Closer Bobby Jenks was called in to end the game, but he gave up four hits en route to the game winning single by Mark Ellis with two outs. Jenks said in a post game interview, "Tonight's all on me" after blowing his first save in two chances.With the loss on their minds, Mark Buehrle took the mound for today's day game. In the first inning, the A's jumped all over Buehrle by getting 3 runs. After that, Buehrle settled down and continued to pitch 6 scoreless runs. The Sox got the majority of their offense in the latter part of the game, scoring 2 runs in the 8th and 3 in the 9th. Jermaine Dye led the offense with 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.
As the season progresses, look for continued improvement from the young starting pitchers for the Sox. There is still A LOT of baseball to be played (154 games for the Sox)...
Fairly even playing field
As the second week of ball comes to an end, some trends are starting to appear. In the AL, there are only 2 teams with less than 2 losses (Cleveland and Seattle, which both have had 3 games canceled due to weather). The even playing field shows that high budget teams such as the New York Yankees are only having slightly better success that lower budget teams such as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This trend is not shown in the National League.
A second trend is only 5 teams in the AL have winning records at home. This is very odd because of home field advantage and fan support, especially early in the season. I feel like this will change as the season progresses. This trend is apparent in the NL, with only 6 teams with winning records at home.
I would like to wish all 30 teams good luck on their quest to make it to the 2007 MLB World Series.
Posted by adamcole at 09:37 PM
Yankees Gaining Momentum
It appears as if the Yankees have righted the ship after getting off to a disappointing start against the Orioles and Devil Rays. The Yanks have won two straight against the Twins, and go for the sweep tonight with Mike Mussina on the hill.
What has been the difference in this series? Undeniably, it’s the starting pitching. On Monday, Carl Pavano went seven innings, giving up just two runs. On Tuesday, Andy Pettitte pitched a gem, going 6 innings and holding the Twins scoreless. The Yankee bats have pounded the Twins pitching, scoring 18 runs in two games, thanks in large part to the continued success of Alex Rodriguez, who now has six homeruns in seven games!
The Yankees continue their road trip against Oakland on Friday, and then close out the month with a 3 games series at Fenway against the much-hated Red Sox. Sure, it’s only April, but any time the Yanks and Sox get together it’s sure to be entertaining baseball. Emotions will run high as these teams jockey for position atop the AL East, and I can’t wait.
Posted by schleifj at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
Matsuzaka: Overhyped?
For this post, I'm going to take a break from my usual Met update/rant/brag-session , and talk about some other big news in the wonderful world of baseball.
Tonight, Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his Fenway Park debut as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
Matsuzaka, known by the nickname Dice-K, has been the most dominant pitcher in Japan for the past 8 years, and was even named Japan's MVP when they won the annual World Baseball Classic last year. Basically, the guy is a Japanese baseball stud.
It is always interesting to me to see how a foreigner who dominates another league performs in an American professional sports league. Will Dice-K follow in the footsteps of Japanese MLB stars Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, or be another overrated foreign disappointment?
Can Dice-K handle the pressure of the classic Yankee-Red Sox rivalry?
Will he do well in front of the ever-critical (and pain in the ass) Red Sox fan base?
Is he worth the $103 million the Red Sox shelled out to get him, and will he be able to handle the pressure of expectations?
Well, there's no doubt about it: the odds are against him. But hey, if it means beating the Yankees in the ALCS, good luck Dicey.
Posted by bryblum at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2007
On the rise
After an outstanding win last night, the White Sox's season is starting to look a little brighter. This win over the A's brings them to 3-3, winning 2 out of the last 3. Highlights from the Sox's game yesterday are home runs by Jim Thome and Scott Podsednik. The starting pitching was outstanding, with Jose Contreras going 6 strong only allowing one run.
Tonight, the Sox take the field against the A's for the middle game of a three game series. I love playing west coast teams because of late night games and the TV coverage via updates on Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight. Pitching tonight for the Sox is Jon Garland who is looking to come make from a miserable first start against the Indians. Look for Podsednik to have another big game (3 for 4, 2 runs scored, and a stolen base last night) in another Sox win tonight.
GO SOX
Posted by adamcole at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
Despite the awful performance by Sidney Ponson in today's loss to the Yankees, the Twins start to the season is promising and their stars are shining. The 4-2 AL Central leaders have been led by Allstar performances by Morneau and Santana who was almost unhittable in the resounding victory over the White Sox yesterday.
I just heard that the Miller Park is going to see its second home opener of the year as the Cleveland Indians struggle with snow. I am not as concerned about the Indian's whether problems as I am about the Twins future outdoor stadium which currently doesn't have the funding for a retractable roof. It apparently will cost an additional 130 Million to add the roof, which can be done at anytime, although the government has refused to provide the funding.
Hopefully over the next two days the Twins can shut down the A-Rod, who seems to be playing his best baseball in recent years, and the Yanks as they continue to establish early domination on the American League.
Posted by glazeben at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2007
Early Season Woes
I would like to start of with a rebuttal to Bryan's comment "Baseball's Opening Day has always been a subconscious indicator of a seasonal transition into summer." I bet you are taking that comment back now. The Cleveland Indians have had three games canceled due to snow fall. You might want to check the weather forecast before you make claims of a transition to summer.Along with chilly weather has been a cold start for the Sox. The Sox haven't won a series yet and dropped 3 games to division rivals. One of the few high points was 1-1 split with the Twins. The Sox now head out to Oakland to face the A's in a three game series and then are on the road at Cleveland where they hope to make up for the poor opening series against the Indians.
Here is an interesting article about a Division 1 College pitcher that has been dazzling batters by throwing both right-handed and left-handed. If he can fine tune his mechanics, scouts are saying he has a chance to make it to the Majors one day.
GO SOX
Posted by adamcole at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)
April 08, 2007
Mets? The Team to Beat.
Whereas Justin's latest blog post was one of panic, my latest post will be one of big-headed boasting!
The New York Metropolitans are off to one of the best starts in franchise history, winning their first four games in dominating fashion, outscoring their opponents 31-3. In fact, it was only the 3rd time in MLB history that a team has won their first 4 games allowing 1 run or less in each of them.
The Mets hitting, which I assumed to be good, has been fantastic.
Jose Reyes is off to a fantastic start, already batting .381 with 7 RBIs and 2 triples. Carlos Beltran has also been stellar, with a .300 batting average and 2 homers.
The real surprise has been the Mets pitching. All four of the Mets starters (Glavine, El Duque, John Maine, and Oliver Perez) picked up wins in their debuts. Even the Mets bullpen has been unstoppable, not giving up a run in 12 innings pitched.
It's nice to be able to say "I'm proud to be a Mets fan!"
Posted by bryblum at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
April 07, 2007
Yankees Offense Carrying Team
It’s only 4 games into the season, but there are already red flags flying in the Bronx. The Yankees are 2-2, but easily could be, and probably should be 0-4. Going into the season, I knew the starting rotation was a question mark, but this has been atrocious. Yankee starters have allowed 22 runs (19 earned) and 28 hits in 17 and 1/3 innings for a 9.87 ERA. The lone bright spot for Yanks pitching has been Mariano Rivera, who has pitched four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit.Despite the abysmal performances from the starters, the Yankee bats have kept the team afloat. On Saturday, the Yanks pulled out a dramatic, 10-7 win over the Orioles, in a game they had no business winning. Kei Igawa, making his major league debut, gave up 7 runs, and was pulled in the 5th inning with the Yanks trailing 7-3. The Yanks got 3 back in the in the 8th on a 3 run shot from Jason Giambi, cutting the lead to 7-6 and setting the stage for Alex Rodriguez. Down by a run, with the bases loaded, and 2 outs, A Rod smashed a 1-2 fastball to over the center field wall, sending the Bronx crowd into a frenzy.
Hopefully the Yanks can build off this win, and get back to their rightful spot atop the AL East.
Posted by schleifj at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2007
Yankees Open Season with Win
Not so fast Mr. Glaze. While you were busy frolicking in the nice spring weather, the Yanks were busy mounting a comeback, eventually defeating the D Rays 9-5. The streak lives on. Here’s the shakedown from opening day:The Good: Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th inning and was dominant, hitting 98 mph routinely. He struck out all 3 batters he faced, needing just 13 pitches to do so. Alex Rodriguez (at the plate) looked good as well. He went 2-5 with a huge 2-run homerun in the 8th.
The Bad: Carl Pavano. In his first start since 2005, Pavano showed some signs of rust. He pitched only 4 and 1/3 innings, giving up 6 hits and 4 earned runs.
The Ugly: The Yankee fielding. Rodriguez missed an easy foul ball in the first inning, Jeter followed that with an errant throw, and Andy Phillips later threw one into center field. Hopefully, these were just opening day jitters, because you'r going to lose more games than you win when you make three errors.
On the whole, the Yanks didn't look great, but they played good enough to win. The offense showed why they are the most feared lineup in the MLB, and the Yanks bullben had 5 solid innings of work.
One final note, Mr. Glaze today is Monday, not Sunday. Most people don’t work on Sunday.
Posted by schleifj at 07:22 PM | Comments (0)
As I sit in my room with the windows open on a nice afternoon switching between Braves vs. Phillies and Yankees vs. Devil Rays it is exciting to see sellout fans supporting the first day games of the season. Part of me wonders why at 3:00pm on a Sunday no one is at work, but its exciting regardless. What makes me especially excited, besides the
Twins first game at 7:00 tonight, is the watching the
Yankees trailing in their opening game when they haven't lost at home on opening day since 1982. Not to mention, they are playing the team with the worst record in the MLB last season with over 100 losses.
Posted by glazeben at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)
Finally...
The wait is over. Our trash-talking can no longer be substantiated by empty claims. Meaningless Spring Training games are no longer our basis for discussion. The Major League baseball season is underway.
To me, baseball's Opening Day has always been a subconscious indicator of a seasonal transition into summer. To me, baseball is summer's sport, one that I can always enjoy without the stresses of schoolwork and bad weather.
And what better than a rematch of last year's NLCS between the Mets and the Cards in the first game of the season? I'll tell you what's better. A Mets domination on all ends in their season debut. Last night, the Mets destroyed the Cardinals 6-1, and tried to enact a little bit of revenge on the team that ousted them from the playoffs last fall.
I'm telling you, the Mets look good. Their offense is second-to-none, and Glavine looked solid in his 6 innings of work.
Bring it Yanks, Sox, and Twins. The boys and I are waiting.
Posted by bryblum at 02:07 PM | Comments (0)
March 31, 2007
1 More Day
Highly Anticipated Opening Day is only 1 day away!
Tomorrow is Opening Day and you are talking about a comment made 3 months ago? The Mets play in 24 hours. You should be giving us a preview of the game. But no, you are dwelling on the past. I think the Cardinals/Mets rivalry is more important than the Phillies/Mets rivalry. The Cards have made the playoffs three years in a row and beat the Mets last year. THEY are the team to beat in the NL.
The Sox open the season at home on April 2nd against the Cleveland Indians. Jose Contreras will be on the mound for the Sox. Contreras is coming off a 13-9 season with a 4.27 ERA last season. He will be facing off against Cleveland's ace C.C. Sabathia.
The Sox are coming off a miserable 11-22-1 Spring Training. But winning two out of the last three, the improvement is evident. I would like to say good luck to all the baseball fans out there. To check up to the second scores around the league you can check MLB Scoreboard. Let the games begin...
Posted by adamcole at 04:10 PM
March 29, 2007
New rivalry? I like it.
The regular season hasn't even begun, and a new rivalry is already budding in the NL East. It's too bad the Twins, White Sox, or Yankees aren't involved. I'm actually going to be forced to talk trash about another team!
It all started way back in January, when Jimmy Rollins boldly predicted that his Philadelphia Phillies were the "team to beat" in the NL East. Team to beat? In January. The Phillies hadn't even begun their Spring Training! How can he make such a claim when the Phillies haven't made the playoffs since 1993? The Mets are the hottest team in the National League, and before last year, the Braves won over 10 straight divisional titles. And THE PHILLIES are the team to beat?
My man David Wright told it like it is: “The Phillies, they can come out and talk as much as they want. Until they prove it on the field, then it’s just talk. As far as throwing out predictions and talking about it, talk is very, very cheap.”
I hate Philly fans. And I can't wait until the Mets home opener on April 9th, when we can shut Rollins and the rest of the Phillies squad for good.
Posted by bryblum at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2007
Refuting False Information
Ben, how to do you call the Twins April schedule favorable when they play 9 games against the teams that finished in the top 5 of the American League last season? That doesn't sound very favorable to me. And with a 4-4 pre-season record against the teams you play in the first month of the season (including 2 loses to the Yanks), how can you be so optimistic? Maybe they don't teach math up there in Minnesota, but a .500 winning percentage isn't going to cut it in the AL Central this season.Bryan, the only thing creepier than Justin posting on your Facebook wall is you listing "accomplishment, organized fun, optimism, and scheming " as your interests. Do you not have regular interests, like playing sports?
Getting back to baseball, the Sox took another hit this pre-season. Expected starting catcher, Toby Hall , tore his labrum which may cost him the entire season.(Article) Hall was batting .406 in the pre-season and was one of the only high points for the Sox. Add this to the miserable streak the Sox are on (1-6 in the past 7 games) and I am dreading Opening Day. The Sox are not ready yet and time is running out. With only 6 days left to work out the kinks, I am nervous...
Posted by adamcole at 05:08 PM
With opening day only 6 days away, I can smell the fresh cut field turf of the metrodome and can practically see the World Series Trophy in Johan's hands. With what is expected to be one of the most favorable April
schedules the Twins have ever received I am excited to watch them build momentum as the AL Central leaders and carry it through the season. When the Twins take the field on April 2nd in front of a sold out crowd of 43,000 against the Orioles it will be interesting to see a few new faces such as Matt Garza, who saw limited action last year,compete to fill Francisco Liriano's shoes as he recovers from his November Tommy John Surgery and was recently placed on the 60 day disabled list. Additionally, the notion that the Yankees will come in to the Dome and sweep the Twins effortlessly is ridiculous, despite our embarrassing performance in last year's AL playoffs. Justin, I expect an April 12th apology post when the Yanks get worked.
Posted by glazeben at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Clubhouse Update
Bryan, no denying it, the loss of Wang certainly hurts the Yankees. To be honest, I am not concerned so much with the time he misses, but rather how he rebounds from this hamstring injury. As it currently stands, Wang will likely be out for a month, meaning he will miss three weeks of the regular season and a handful of starts. In my opinion, these few starts won’t be detrimental to the Yanks, but if Wang is not able to return to his 19 game winning form from a year ago, then this could be cause for concern. Hopefully this will not be a hamstring pull that lingers all season long, but only time will tell.Opening day is just around the corner and I can’t wait. If the past few seasons are any indication, expect the Yankees to get off to a slow start. In 2004, the team finished April just one game over .500, in 2005 they finished April four games under .500 and in 2006 they were just three games over .500 after the first month of the season.
The Yankees open this spring with six games at Yankee Stadium before traveling to Minnesota to sweep the Twins. The Yanks also have six against the Red Sox in April, so it should be a very exciting first month.
Posted by schleifj at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2007
Fantasy, Facebook, Suspicion, & Pitching
Don’t get too excited, Justin. The Mets have some pretty impressive fantasy stats as well:
PLUS Reyes and Wright are both in the top 10 overall. The Yanks only have one player in the top ten.
I don’t even like using fantasy sports to gauge the talent of a team. But, I had to throw that out there to mess with Justin and make him understand that the Yanks don’t have “far away more talent than any other team”. “Far away”? That doesn’t even make sense.
Oh, and one more thing about Justin. The guy is so worried about his Yanks, that he constantly thinks about the blog and as part of an internal defense mechanism, mocks my blog posts by posting excerpts from my posts on my Facebook wall. Kinda creepy, if you ask me.
Anyway, back to baseball. The piece of news that caught my eye this week was Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa getting arrested for suspicion of drunken driving. La Russa was pulled over and blew a .093. I don’t get it. Arrested for suspicion of drunk driving? How much more evidence do you need? He was driving, and blew a .093. Guess that didn’t have much to do with baseball, but I thought it was funny. Maybe not.
Oh yeah, how about Chien-Ming Wang, Justin? Yankee’s pitchers just keep going down. Petitte, Veras, now Wang? Good luck with that.
I guess I was kind of harsh in this post. I think it’s because I have a lot of studying to do. I’ll try to be nicer next time.
Posted by bryblum at 05:10 PM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2007
Fantasy Shakedown
For any Twins, White Sox, or Mets fan who has lost interest in baseball by midsummer, don’t fear, there is a solution, Fantasy Baseball.
There was an interesting article by Peter Gammons, ranking the top fantasy players by position. What does it all mean? Just further proof that the Yanks are the team to beat this year.
#8 overall catcher Jorge Pasada
#2 overall second basemen Robinson Cano
#3 overall shortstop Derek Jeter
#1 overall third basemen Alex Rodriguez
#4 overall reliever Mariano Rivera
This is far away more raw talent than any other team. The most encouraging news from this article has to be what the experts are saying about Alex Rodriguez. After struggling in the post season, the early word from spring training is he is back and swinging the bat extremely well.
Other exciting news is Yankees pitching prospect Philip Hughes. The guy is a beast, and is already being compared to a young Roger Clemens. “He has stuff and command, and is as legit as they come.” True quote. In 146 innings last year in Triple A, he had 168 strikeouts and just 34 walks, while holding opponents to a .179 batting average. Sure its AAA, but those numbers are ridiculous. As soon as Pavano or Igawa falters, expect Hughes to be called up.
Can’t wait til all these Yankee wins actually start counting…
Posted by schleifj at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2007
A New US Cellular Field
Renovations will allow for a better fan experience
I would like to start with a thanks to Bryan for the obnoxiously large logo.In an interview with Brooks Boyer, the vice president of marketing for the Sox, he explained all the changes that were made to US Cellular Field in the off season. The key change was angling the seat from the dugouts to the corners, so you are facing the pitching mound instead of staring out into the outfield. The replacement of all the seats was another improvement that was made (with the only exception being the landing spots of Paul Konerko's grand slam and Scott Podsednik's walk-off home run in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series). A final improvement was the complete renovation and remodeling of all suite level boxes. "I'll put our ballpark and its experience up against anyone else's. We really believe we have something for everyone," stated Boyer. Click here from a look at the stadium
As for the team, there as been a slight improvement (6-4 since the 2-9 start). With it being Spring training, this is what fans should look for. As long as the team keeps improving and fine tuning pitching, hitting, and fielding, I have no problem with the .381 winning percentage. On a side note, the highlight of today's loss to Kansas City was an in-the-park home run by Juan Uribe. As long as the Sox keep improving, I'll be happy...
A more respectable size logo
Posted by adamcole at 10:21 PM
Mets Spring Training Pitching Update
13 days. That’s how many days we have until Opening Day of America’s National Pastime. Am I excited? Very. Why? The Mets are making me excited. Remember the massive influx of starting pitching on the Mets squad at the beginning of Spring Training? Well, over the past few weeks, pitchers like Aaron Sele, Chan Ho Park, and Oliver Perez have been competing for the final two starting spots (Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, and John Maine have basically secured the 1-3 spots).
Who has been most impressive? Young right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who has been in the Mets farm system for a few years, and is considered by many to have exception Major League potential. In nine innings pitched so far during spring training, Pelfrey has only allowed one run. Ever since Pelfrey was brought up from the minors last season, I’ve seen potential in the guy. I hope we give him a chance as the fifth starter.
And how about that El Duque scare the other day? While rounding first, Orlando Hernandez got tripped up and immediately grabbed his hamstring. A Mets fan would be ignorant to not immediately get flashbacks from last season, where what seemed like every Met pitcher was going down from injury.
Lastly, I’ll make a prediction for this season’s breakout player of the year. Young middle-reliever Ambiorix Burgos. The guy can toss the ball over 100MPH, and the Mets organization loves him. I would love for the Mets to finally have a solid middle-reliever to help the lackluster starting rotation.
LETS GO METS!
Posted by bryblum at 06:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2007
Direct TV Deal DOES Benefit the Consumers! In response to Adam's post about Direct TV selling the out of market package beginning this season, I would like to say that it does benefit consumers. Although it may be expensive to get the package, people that are willing and able to pay now have a much more convenient avenue to do so.For one, the MLB Channel is going to be featured in the Direct TV Basic Package, which is already being purchased by 15 million households in the US. There would be no added expense and increased value to these baseball fans.
Additionally, I could be wrong but I don't remember a time when out of market games were readily available for people who weren't willing to pay for them anyway? Even on regular cable services the choice you have about games to watch is very limited and without cable you may not even have the option to watch local games.
Although it may be somewhat inhibiting for low income families who benefited from seeing a random out of market game from time to time on ESPN, it seems that the marginal benefit of this deal is largely outweighing the cost for many US households.
It will be interesting to see if congress steps in and argues that this $700 Million deal over the next 7 years grants Direct TV too much market power, but I think it is great for the average baseball fan who is willing to pay a small fee to see MANY more games
Posted by glazeben at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2007
Rocket Man
The Yankees continued their stellar play in spring training, starting out at 8-2. However, the question continues to be, how stable is this starting rotation? Carl Pavano has been plagued by injuries and Andy Pettitte is now 34 years old, and he too has been injury prone. With such questions looming, rumors have been flying about adding another pitcher to the Yankee roster. You may have heard of him, his name is Roger Clemens.
Although Clemens hasn’t made it clear if he is going to play this season, Yankees fans are already salivating at the thought of the Rocket returning to pinstripes. The newly acquired Pettitte and Clemens are very close friends. Recently Clemens traveled to Florida to watch Pettitte pitch, further fueling the rumors that Clemens wants to come back to the Yanks.
While many fans are eager to see Clemens rejoin the team, I am against the move. Clemens is asking for a ridiculous $24 million dollars for one year. Clemens had an ERA of 2.30 last year, but he was never able to do that with the Yankees. In five seasons with New York, Clemens had only one 20 win season, and an ERA around 3.75. Moreover, I am getting tired of his on again off again retirement. It is a distraction to the team, and I would rather see them focus on the long term future, a new concept the Yankees seem to be embracing by getting rid of aging starts Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson.
Thanks, but no thanks Roger.
Posted by schleifj at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)
March 06, 2007
Trouble in the Pen
Off to a bad Start
I would like to start off by agreeing with Justin. Spring training is about evaluating talent and preparing for the regular season, but I am disturbed about how the Sox are playing right now. If this is any sign of how they are going to play this season, they might as well throw in the towel now. So far, the Sox are 2-6 and have been outscored 43 to 35 (if you throw out the 13-2 game against the Cubs the margin becomes 41 to 23. I am in for a long summer if improvement doesn't come fast.
I would also like to comment on Bryan's entry about the proposed DirecTV deal. It is absurd that the FCC would even consider allowing this deal. With this deal, gone would be the days of Wednesday and Sunday Night Baseball (both key match-ups shown on ESPN). Baseball would lose some of their fan base because some areas around the US don't have a favorite team and with no "market," no games would be shown. Fans would also lose interest around the league because it would be harder for them to keep up on team from other cities around the country.
With that off my back, I can finally get to the problem that seems to be plaguing the Sox: PITCHING. The Sox pitching staff boasts a pitiful 7.53 ERA this pre-season. You expect hitting to come along slowly in Spring Training because of the long lay-off, but pitching? Pitchers and catchers report a full week before the rest of the team to get the kinks out before the scrimmage games even start.
One bright spot to shine this Spring had been the development of young guns pitchers Gavin Floyd and Charlie Haeger. Manager Ozzie Guillen is very impressed and says both are expected to make the roster with one taking the 5th spot in the rotation and the other being a late reliever coming from the bullpen.
Hopefully the Sox can overcome these early jitters and rebound to have a successful Spring.
Posted by adamcole at 07:11 PM
March 05, 2007
DirecTV & MLB: Fair?
I'd like to take a moment to stray from the "baseball as a sport" conversation and discuss the "baseball as a business" topic. In the past few days, it was announced that DirecTV made a deal with Major League Baseball which would give DirecTV exclusive rights to the MLB's out-of-market games. This means that fans will only be able to enjoy the games of their local teams. The only way fans will be able to watch any games of out-of-town teams will be to buy the package from DirecTV.
What's amusing to me is that DirecTV claims that this deal will "benefit the consumers" because there will be "more content and more features". How will the consumers benefit when DirecTV is able to abuse their newly-strengthened market power and charge an arm and a leg for their package? Previously, out-of-market games were available to anyone through non-exclusive deals with cable, satellite, or telephone companies. Now, Major League Baseball is catering to those who are wealthy enough to afford an extravagant package.
Since when has baseball been a luxury? To me, baseball is America's National Pastime, a sport that all Americans can enjoy together, regardless of socioeconomic status. The MLB is allowing DirecTV to abuse their power, and I'm truly disappointed.
Posted by bryblum at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)
Pinstripe Pitching Update
Pinstripe Pitching Update
Sure it’s only spring training, but there is still plenty to talk about. The Yankees got off to a hot start, going 4-0 in their first four spring training games. Thankfully for my fellow bloggers, spring training isn’t about wins and losses, (Mets 2-4, Twins 1-4, Sox 2-4) but rather about evaluating talent. For the Yankees, the early reports are mixed.
Andy Pettitte and Chien Ming Wang retired all six batters they faced, encouraging news for any starting rotation. Along with the reliable Mike Mussina, who had a marginal debut giving up one run in two innings, expect this trio to lead the Yankees pitching staff.
The 4th and 5th starters remain a question mark at this point. Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano seem to be holding down these spots, which is enough to make any Yankee fan uneasy. Igawa is unproven in the MLB, and did not fare well in his first spring training debut. Igawa has been compared to Dontrelle Willis, but at the time he remains a question mark. And as for Pavano, the big right hander can’t seem to stay off the DL, pitching just 100 innings last year and winning only four games.
It's great to have Pettitte back in pinstripes
Posted by schleifj at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2007
As spring training opens and speculation about Minnesota's Gold Glove outfielder's contract begins for the second year in a row. What does he have to say about it? He says that he will refuse to let it distract the team from the ultimate goal and says that there are players in the organization whose situations definitely deserve priority, such as Cy Young winner Johan Santana and closer Joe Nathan who have been the glue of the pitching staff throughout the past few seasons. "You can't let those guys go year-to-year. You have to give the fans hope that you're going to keep the superstars around forever. You've got to let the fans know that at least for four or five more years, they can have somebody to cheer for," he said when asked to comment. Not to mention, this is all during the "optional" training camp period that most superstar players who are unhappy with their current contracts seem to be skipping these days.
Posted by glazeben at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2007
Big Dreams for 2007
Sox bring size to the starting rotation and bullpen
As pitchers and catchers begin to report to Arizona, the revamped White Sox pitching staff brings a new look. Nine pitchers are 6-4 or taller including 6-10 left hander Andrew Sisco and 6-8 Adam Russell, as opposed to last year when 6-3 Bobby Jenks was the tallest member of the staff. With this size usually comes conditioning and injury issues. However, General Manager Ken Williams was pleasntly surprised with how well these players conditioned in the off-season. The Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was also very impressed by the young arms that the Sox aquired. Nick Masset and Charlie Heager are likily to grab the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation. It is going to be an exciting Spring Training watching all of these young pitchers develop and face off against major league hitters.
I am very interested to see how all of your teams finish in the Grapefruit League. I'm looking forward to March 1, where the Yanks meet the Twins in Legends Field. Since the Mets and Yankees don't actually play each other (till the regular season)we will have to see who finishes higher in the standings.
Posted by adamcole at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2007
Cacti & Grapefruits
In the midst of all the heckling and badmouthing, we all failed to mention the beginning of training camp! In the past week, pitchers and catchers have been arriving to their respective ballparks, participating in their first workouts, and patiently awaiting their first chance to impress the coaches in a Grapefruit or Cactus League showdown.
The announcement of the arrival of pitchers and catchers made me excited. But it also made me a bit nervous. The Mets had 31 pitchers arrive to training camp, with 11 of them vying for a spot in the 5-man starting rotation. This wouldn’t be a problem if there were 3 or 4 solid guys who were guaranteed a spot. With an injury-riddled Pedro Martinez out until at least midseason, Tom Glavine moves into the #1 spot, and El Duque Orlando Hernandez moves into the #2 spot. No one else is guaranteed a spot. El Duque as the #2 starter on a team that barely missed a World Series appearance scares me a bit. The early favorites for the #3 and #4 spots are Oliver Perez and John Maine. Although Maine is a solid young pitcher, I’m extremely nervous entering the season with this rotation.
Hopefully, everyone will throw a little bit harder and show their true capabilities in the spirit of competition…
I wish the best of luck to the Twins and White Sox in their Spring Training. And yes, I did leave out the Yankees.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/sports/baseball/18mets.html
Posted by bryblum at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2007
A panicking Yankees fan? Hardly Mr. Blum. Rather, a baseball fan that holds his team to higher standards. As a Yankee fan, I don’t hope my team wins, I expect them to win. Nonetheless, the last few season's lack of post-season success is certainly cause for concern. Despite winning the AL East by a comfortable 9 games in 2006, the Yankees were once again eliminated in the divisional series. This year, expect that to change.
Offensively, there is no one that will outscore the Bronx Bombers. Last season, the Yanks were 1st in runs scored, 1st in hits, 2nd in batting average, and 1st in OBP. A healthy Matsui and entire season with Abreu in the lineup makes this year’s offense even more potent. Damon, Rodriguez, Giambi, Jeter and others will provide the run support this team needs. And quite frankly, backups Doug Mientkiewicz, and Melky Cabrera are good enough to start on most major league teams. At the plate, this team has loads of talent, and depth. Certainly enough to keep AL pitchers scratching their heads all season long.
Of course, the Yankees Achilles heel has never been their hitting, but always their pitching. In last year’s ALDS, Yankee pitchers gave up 22 runs in just 4 games. Well the good news is Randy Johnson and Jared Wright, who both were down right horrible in the postseason are gone. The even better news is Andy Pettitte is back in pin stripes, and newly acquired reliever Luis Vizcaino is a nice addition to an already sound bullpen.
This Yankee team is very good. But if you don’t trust me, trust vegas. After all, if you can't trust vegas who can you trust?
#27 in 2007 is looking awfully good
-Schleif
Posted by schleifj at 06:53 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2007
Adam, you bring up a great point about the weakness of the National League, but before you begin to rag on Minnesota Fans lets discuss the 12,000 fan per game attendance jump that the White Sox experienced in the last two years. Maybe because they finally had a good season? Surely the Twins will experience a jump like this when our $450 Million OUTDOOR stadium is completed in 2008 because, once again I agree, baseball is meant to be played outdoors. You are probably correct that the sport Minnesotans love the most is Hockey, which is probably why every home game in Minnesota Wilds 7 year history has been sold out. Check out this ticket brokerage site if you wanna try and compete with the loyal Minnesota Fans, but you probably won't be able to find a single original ticket for sale.
Posted by glazeben at 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2007
The National League... Seriously?
AL Domination
- Teams from the American league have won 10 out of the last 15 World Series
- The National League has not won an All-star Game for the last 11 years
- The American League went 154-98 in 2006 Inter-league play
- The American League went 136-116 in 2005 Inter-league play
Bryan,
How can you cheer for the sub-par play of a weaker league? Year after year, the AL dominates the NL. Can you really call a team "panicking" when they have ONLY won 4 out of the last 11 World Series? By no means do I like the Yankees, but you have to respect what they did in the late 1990's. Shouldn't you be panicking because the Mets have only been to the World Series once since 1986, where they proceeded to get trounced by the Yankees 4-1?
I agree with Ben in the fact that you have to look to the Midwest to see true powerhouse baseball, but went a little to far west. Stop by the South Side of Chicago for foot-long hot dogs, deep dish pizza, and some great baseball. In an article by Jim Molony on the MLB website, he goes on to describe the AL Central as the "toughest division in all of baseball" with "four play-off caliber teams". Article
The White Sox revealed a potent offense in 2006, highlighted by the power of Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, and Jim Thome. The highlight of the 2007 team will be the young gun pitching staff that the Sox acquired in the off-season. Dealing aging arms, such as Freddy Garcia, who wore down at the end of last season, will give the Sox the late season pushed that they lacked last season.
I dont know about the fair weather fans up there in Minnesota (baseball is meant to be played outside, not on artificial turf that you have to share with you equally pathetic NFL team), but I am counting down the day till April 2 when the Sox battle the Indians at US Cellular Field. After that we sweep that series, bring in your Twins and we will see what they've got. Personally I would tell them to stick to hockey...Posted by adamcole at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
Payroll Isn't Everything
It is truly unfortunate that in a blog entitled “Baseball: America’s Pastime” someone who claims to be a fan would argue that it is game of money. Money is what has ruined the game. If only we could get back to the “good old days” when a team like the Minnesota Twins who recruit homegrown talent like Joe Mauer straight out of the Minneapolis high school system or Justin Morneau, this years AL MVP and coach them into players who have proven themselves to be the future of the league. How can a Yankees fan appreciate his players? Two years ago Yankees fans would have proudly worn “Damon Sucks” t-shirts to irritate their rival Red Sox, but $52 Million dollars later they have no reservations about calling him a Yankee. Speaking of Joe Mauer, anyone see he was signed to 4 years 33 million? I wonder why a player who just won the batting title would be willing to accept what seems like such a low salary in light of recent Yankee signings. Maybe he wants to win a championship on teamwork and camaraderie, not bankroll.
Twins Updates! Posted by glazeben at 04:39 PM
Cross-Town Rivals
Typical. A panicking Yankee fan, immediately on the defensive, begins a general baseball conversation by spewing the exact same protective argument. Why does it seem like every single time I begin talking baseball with a Yankee fan, within the first two minutes of conversation I hear the constantly cited “26 World Championships baby. How many do you have?” or “ 9 straight AL East Titles!”? I’ll tell you why. The Yankees are panicking. They have the biggest payroll in baseball, one of the biggest fan support bases in baseball, and they haven’t won a World Series in over 7 years! When I discuss baseball, I’m never arguing who the best franchise of all time is. There’s no question that the Yankees are the most revered team in Major League Baseball history. When I discuss baseball, I like to talk about current baseball and the future of my team.As far as the future is concerned, the Mets are the most promising young team in baseball. With young franchise-players like David Wright and Jose Reyes building off of monster break-out seasons, Carlos Beltran following possibly one of the most impressive seasons by a Met in franchise history, and a list of 9 solid pitchers fighting to break the starting rotation, I see the Mets building on last season’s impressive yet disappointing performance and making a well-deserved World Series appearance. Their opponent? I hope it’s the Yankees. Why? First, I feel bad for them with all of their recent letdowns. Second, to shut them up and reign supreme as the superior cross-town rival.
Bryan BlumPosted by bryblum at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Opening Post
Before my fellow posters begin their tirade, I’d like to dispel a ridiculous accusation that is sure to arise. As an avid Yankee fan, I am tired of hearing the same argument. Every October, when the Yankees win another AL East title (currently 9 straight and counting), I hear the same unintelligent line, “if the twins had 200 million they would win too.” News flash, they don’t. And nor should the Yankees be at fault for taking advantage of every opportunity provided by their large, new york city fan base. And its funny, these same critiques never say, “the florida gators should have won the national championship, afterall they do have the best in state talent to recruit from.” Its part of the game, so get over it. Yours truly, Justin SchleiferPosted by schleifj at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)
Topic Announcement
Baseball: America's National Pastime
With Spring Training scheduled to start on February 20th, a new season of baseball is quickly approaching. Under the cloud of steroids and contract negotiations, every team will start April 1 on Opening Day with the same record, 0-0. Fans from around the country will flock to stadiums rooting for either the home or away team, depending on where their heart lies, sporting the 2007 MLB authentic jerseys and hats of their favorite team. As these fans interact, arguments of who the team to beat of 2007 will be. Coming from different cities around the country, each author of this blog has one team that they love. The theme of this blog is friendly argument and debate concerning our individual hometown teams. Off-season moves and gameday updates along with historical data will be a key means for discussion in this blog. With this explained, I guess there is only one thing to say:
Play ball!Posted by adamcole at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
Welcome
Authors
Our blog groups consists of the following people:
Adam Coleman (Section 2) - adamcole
Bryan Blum (Section 3) - bryblum
Ben Glaze (Section 3) - glazeben
Justin Schleifer (Section 3) - schleifj
Posted by adamcole at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)