Baseball 2004

bostontricky · March-29th-2004, 07:38 PM

Gentlemen, start your engines:

- - - - - - -
Tuesday's Games

New York (Mussina 0-0) vs. Tampa Bay (Zambrano 0-0) at Tokyo, Japan
5:05 AM EST

Cue Reynolds and "BoSox Luncheon 2004"...

Brian Olewnick · March-29th-2004, 07:41 PM

Damn, I was hoping to start this thread tomorrow at about 5:30 AM, timed to coincide with ARod's first HR as a Yankee.

bostontricky · March-29th-2004, 07:44 PM

Nothing like being half a game out by breakfast...

GoodSpeak · March-29th-2004, 08:05 PM

My son and I will be taking in the Opening Day festivities April 5th at Oakland Colesium...can't wait

Brian Olewnick · March-29th-2004, 08:45 PM

2004 AL MVP and future (2005, if not sooner) Yankee CF:

Jon Abbey · March-30th-2004, 07:50 AM

batting practice for Tampa Bay in the late innings against Mussina and Heredia, not looking good going to the 9th. way worse, Quantrill came in, looked great (got out of a jam with 3 outs on 3 pitches), then ran into A-Rod on a Baldelli bunt leading off the next inning and had to leave, hopefully he's OK...

worst record in MLB, baby!

Brian Olewnick · March-30th-2004, 08:24 AM

Did this game count?

Jon Abbey · March-30th-2004, 08:36 AM

so, just for the record, are you a Yankees or Blue Jays fan this year? and don't say both, they're in the same five team division and play each other 19 times.

Brian Olewnick · March-30th-2004, 08:53 AM

Both.

Well, I'll be rooting for the Jays to beat out Boston anyway. Actually kinda liked the way the Yanks line-up looked. I'd keep Lofton down in the order (8th, though, ahead of Wilson) and move Matsui down to 7th once he leaves Japan, replacing him with Bernie. Actually, I think I'd hit Bernie lead-off, Jeter second, but I doubt that will happen.

Giambi looks like he's been on a steroid-free diet this winter.

I was on my way to work when the Quantrill/ARod collision occurred. Since the former is on my roto team, how badly hurt did he appear?

Jon Abbey · March-30th-2004, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Since the former is on my roto team, how badly hurt did he appear?

I didn't really see, he left quickly, I think (hope) it was more precautionary than anything else. the wire story thought it was just day-to-day.

derek · March-30th-2004, 09:12 AM

Cricket is the best game in the summer, what is this game called Baseball???...I don't get it!!....

Uli · March-30th-2004, 09:15 AM

Go White Sox!

Enforcer · March-30th-2004, 10:40 AM

This game counts in the real standings, but they're still playing Spring training games?

Confused,
Larry

Chris D · March-30th-2004, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

This game counts in the real standings, but they're still playing Spring training games?

Confused,
Larry

Yes, and the Yankees come back and play MORE spring training games after this little series.
Hoping to heck they're jet-lagged and aching when the White Sox hit the Bronx on April 8.....

Uli · March-30th-2004, 10:49 AM

Yep. This early am was day one of opening week.

For the stats guys. What's it for opening day loosers to win the WS?

Chris D · March-30th-2004, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uli

Yep. This early am was day one of opening week.

For the stats guys. What's it for opening day loosers to win the WS?

Happens all the time. There are 162 of the damn tings. This ain't football.

Uli · March-30th-2004, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris D

Happens all the time. There are 162 of the damn tings. This ain't football.

I know, Chris. Just want to use the term opening day looser for a while before this thread becomes a Yankee lovefest again.

Noj · March-30th-2004, 11:19 AM

GO DODGERS!

Well, try at least.

I may be better off watching big bad Vlad and the Angels.

Brian Olewnick · March-30th-2004, 11:21 AM

Thought I heard Toshi Nakamura on the stadium loudspeakers between innings revving up the crowd.

clinthopson · March-30th-2004, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noj

GO DODGERS!

Well, try at least.

I may be better off watching big bad Vlad and the Angels.

You got that right, Noj.

Angels-Cubs World Series.

You heard it here first!

(Notice the Angel red?)

Brian Olewnick · March-30th-2004, 03:38 PM

Enjoyed this line from Sheehan's piece in today's BP:

"In the second, we were treated to this from, I believe, Karl Ravech: "Enrique Wilson, first-pitch swinging." Anybody want to set a line on this versus, "past a diving Jeter"? "

Chris D · March-30th-2004, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Enjoyed this line from Sheehan's piece in today's BP:

"In the second, we were treated to this from, I believe, Karl Ravech: "Enrique Wilson, first-pitch swinging." Anybody want to set a line on this versus, "past a diving Jeter"? "

Or, "over the glove of Giambi, down the line into the corner...."

Ron Thorne · March-30th-2004, 04:31 PM

Opening day at the Tokyo Dome? What's wrong with that picture?

bostontricky · March-30th-2004, 07:55 PM

I dunno. Maybe they're scouting it out as a potential location for the Expos.

BFrank · March-31st-2004, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Opening day at the Tokyo Dome? What's wrong with that picture?

It's COMPLETELY absurd. Why not make it an exhibition game? What's the point of having it be part of the season? Besides the travel issue, it deprives the "home" team of playing at home.

Just another lame baseball prank.

Ron Thorne · March-31st-2004, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFrank

It's COMPLETELY absurd. Why not make it an exhibition game? What's the point of having it be part of the season? Besides the travel issue, it deprives the "home" team of playing at home.

Just another lame baseball prank.

Thank you, BFrank! My sentiments exactly. To add insult to injury, the Yankees are coming back to America to play more Spring Training games before playing their first season game on our soil. What the ...?

Lame, indeed.

clinthopson · March-31st-2004, 11:23 AM

We live in interesting times.

Jon Abbey · March-31st-2004, 12:53 PM

yes, god forbid that 2 out of the 2500 or so MLB games this year be played outside of North America. does "our soil" include all of the "home" games the Expos play in Puerto Rico, or games in Montreal or Toronto? there's about a thousand things more screwed up with baseball than this, and in fact there's nothing wrong with this. Tampa Bay agreed to it, and I don't think they have much home field advantage in Tampa over the Yankees anyway, there are tons of Yankees fans in Florida. I simply don't see the other side of the argument here.

Nomar's out until May, joining Trot Nixon and Kim on the sidelines for the first month of the season.

Mike Schwartz · March-31st-2004, 02:02 PM

If the 2 games in Japan point to a trend with this years Yanks, it's probably fair to guess there will be quite a few *9's* and *12's* in the mix on the scoreboard;-)

Gordon B · March-31st-2004, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

yes, god forbid that 2 out of the 2500 or so MLB games this year be played outside of North America. does "our soil" include all of the "home" games the Expos play in Puerto Rico, or games in Montreal or Toronto? there's about a thousand things more screwed up with baseball than this, and in fact there's nothing wrong with this. Tampa Bay agreed to it, and I don't think they have much home field advantage in Tampa over the Yankees anyway, there are tons of Yankees fans in Florida. I simply don't see the other side of the argument here.

I think it's marginally good for baseball. Jon's right that there are a thousand things to complain about as far as the way baseball is run before the discussion digresses to MLB holding two games per annum in Japan.

Do the Yanks and Devil Rays realize that they were playing on the fiscal year-end for Japanese businesses? Or that the Yen hit a new high for the year while they were playing? The Japanese economy is showing signs of rebounding and the Bank of Japan has indicated that they are not going to sell trillions of Yen anymore in the foreign exchange markets to keep the Yen from appreciating.