Baseball's Opening day is love, pure love, and I mean that from the bottom of my blood filled heart. Because I have a job now and can afford such frivolous things, I decided to purchase MLB TV online for the entire 2009 baseball season. I've met plenty of people who've called themselves lazy; but let me just say this. Give me an opportunity to watch any baseball game I choose and I can show you how lazy a man really can be.
One of my favorite blogs is The Hardball Times and one of my favorite features of THT is Craig Calcaterra's throughly entertaining ShysterBall. During the baseball season, he writes these little blurbs about every major league game by either watching them or (more often) combing through the boxscores and digging out interesting tidbits. It's called "And That Happened" and it's probably the second or third thing I check on my computer when I get to work (after my work email and maybe Andrew Sullivan, naturally). I don't want to bite the man's style, but I too have decided to write little tidbits about baseball games throughout the season. Except, because I have the incomparable MLB TV, I will only write about games that I've actually watched. It will be heavily skewed towards the Brew Crew and Phillies because those are my favorite teams and West Coast starts because I get home from work relatively late, but I will try and be as even handed as possible. One last thing, no Mets and Yankees coverage because I live in New York.
Without further ado, here's some of my notes from opening day.
Seattle vs. Minnesota
Top of the 1st:
Liriano's slider is really working early. I know he'll probably never return to the form he showed during his rookie season, when he was inspiring, but he'll still become a legitimate ace. Not quite Santana though.
I've watched a little bit of the Twins, for some reason I can't quite understand, I've always had a soft spot for them. Even though they are the only baseball team to make me cry (I can still hear Jack Buck's call on Kirby Puckett's home run- "into deep left center, and we'll see you tomorrow night).
Man.. Nick Punto has a weak arm- not David Eckstein weak, but certainly towards the bottom of all shortstops, he might need to lie down after that throw.
I'm glad Mike Sweeney has a job, I thought he'd retire. I know I would if my manager told the press I needed to start pounding tequila instead of milk and cookies.
Damn, Hernandez twists his ankle a bit. He's young, so he'll play it off.
Bottom 1st:
Sometimes I forget that Felix Hernandez is only 22. He's been the anointed one for so long, that I think of him as a grizzled veteran. I also forget that he's actually gotten better every year- playing for the crappy Mariners keeps his win total low though.
Denard Span at the plate, he looks a little nervous, like he wants to hold on to his position for dear life. I don't blame him.
My god Endy Chavez is fast. Everybody remembers the catch for the Mets in 2006, so for the rest of his life he'll always be thought of as a great defender. And damn is it the truth, he didn't catch the foul ball he was chasing after, but he really never should have come close and he did.
Hernandez still has some trouble putting people away. And he still starts off the game throwing too much gas- but man are they some scorchers. 95, 95, 96, he has the best fastball in all of the bigs. Or at least the most consistently fast.
I know he's actually a really nice guy and all, but for some reason, Justin Morneau seems like he'd play the asshole bully in some high school movie.
Top 2nd:
Beltre knocks a baggy double the other way, I always expected more from him. I mean, 2004 has to be up there with Norm Cash in 1961 and Ken Caminiti in 1998, as far as flukish seasons, right?
Griffey's playing against lefties, seriously. His swing is still sweetest I've seen, but it's dangerously long. He shouldn't have (or want) any piece of Liriano. But he gets the productive out and Jose Lopez hits the sac fly to drive Beltre home, In other news, Span is a good defender. We got some gold glovers in left field tonight.
I like Liriano's motion although it frightens me a little bit. I wish he followed through more, it always seems like he's stopping abruptly.
Bottom 2nd:
Hernandez isn't showing any effects from the ankle in the first. Gets Redmond on a nice breaking ball
Bottom 3rd:
I know he's dead and we shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but Carl Pohlad was crotchety old miser. The best thing I can say about him is that he let his baseball people do the baseball work. Glad he wasn't really a fan or he might have fucked things up.
Beltre can certainly play some Defense, his arm is fantastic, strong and effortless throws after making the backhanded grab.
87 mph breaking ball followed by a 96 mph fastball, Cuddyer had no chance. I love pitchers who work backwards because I like strikeouts that end with a hitter getting thoroughly outgunned by the heat.
Top 4th:
Liriano's getting a lot of groundball outs. Bodes well for his season.
Bottom 4th:
I know I've said this already, but Hernandez really does have a pretty breaking ball. It's weird to describe it that way, it's biting and thrown in the high 80's, so it ain't your classic 12-to-6er, but it's still a joy to watch when it's on.
Beltre with another nice play, although this one has plenty of luck to go along with the skill. He lost the ball in the lights after it took a big hop, but he just reached up while looking down and snared it in his glove before throwing out the runner.
Top 5th:
HOME RUN GRIFFEY! OFF LIRIANO! Sorry I doubted you man. That pretty swing can still generate power, especially against a hanging slider. I just want to let you know that I had your shoe in the mid 90's. Even though it was ugly as sin. And I played your video game, even though it was completely unresponsive.
The homer seems to have taken something out of Liriano, the Mariners are starting to time him better.
Bottom 5th:
Man, Redmond aced that fastball, timed it really well.
Trouble for Hernandez, bases loaded and no outs. How's he gonna get out of this.
I like Span's patience, for some reason he's impressed me. Aaron Gleeman talked about him a bit, but I didn't know he'd be a player like he is.
Be careful with Cuddyer- bloop single. I think Hernandez is gonna be that type of pitcher, guys are just gonna stick the head of the bat out in front of the plate and use the speed of the pitch to drive it between the infielders and outfielders.
Morneau grounds into a double play to end the threat.
Top 6th:
Span has some serious range, him, Beltre, and Chavez have been the defensive stars of the game. He hesistated a bit on the Betancourt fly ball but still had enough speed to track it down.
Home run Gutierrez; it's crazy that Gomez almost caught that ball though. Good defenders are a joy to watch.
Top 9th:
The damn MLB TV messed up for two and a half innings. Missed the end of the line for Hernandez, but he pitched an absolute gem. Reminds me of that game he pitched against Boston in the first series of season last year, where had the no-hitter going. He never pitched that well again for the season, but it was that game that made me a fan of his.
Bottom 9th:
And as Jack Bucks says.. that's a winner, for the Mariners.
Other notes:
Detroit at Toronto
Watched Doc Holliday pitch. He's so efficient and quick, that sinker really is frustrating to hitters. He got nailed in his final inning so it looks like he was ineffective. But he wasn't, he was flat out dominate for most of his start. I like starters going a lot of innings as much as the next guy, but Cito really should have pulled him, the game was no longer in doubt.
Until the wheels fell off, Curtis Granderson's homer was the only damage against the Doctor (and boy did he hurt that one, hit it into the second deck). To me, Granderson is like a better version of Doug Glanville. Both very intelligent, thin Black outfielders, who can fly. Glanville, as you may know, graduated from University of Pennsylvania with an engineering degree and writes guest columns for the New York Times. Granderson has/had a very insightful blog on ESPN. The biggest difference between them is that Granderson has much more power, and is a legitimate All-Star. But I really like both of them.
Till next time.
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