31 posts tagged “baseball” (page 2)

Looking at all the photos taken on Friday of old Tiger Stadium in Detroit, I must say, it makes me very sad.  I guess the stadium really is finally headed for demolition at some point, and sorry, but I think it's beyond ridiculous.  From everything I've read, Detroit's doing just about nothing right on this one.  Making no particular effort to save what is, without a doubt, a national landmark.  I don't get why the city sees no value in keeping Tiger Stadium around.  They're simply not trying hard enough.  It's a beautiful old place, and it's overflowing with history.  Seeing it being ripped apart just disgusts me.  There's an auction underway for pieces of the place, and if I could get something for under $50, I would place a bid.  It's a place that shouldn't be forgotten.  I mean, it opened in 1912!  It's coming up on 100 years old!  And it still looks amazing.  I've been to Comerica Park, and it is nice.  But Tiger Stadium is so much more.  If I were a Tigers fan, I think I would have been disappointed to see the team pack up and move rather than renovating the old place.  I mean, TY COBB played there.  Come ON, Detroit.  You have statues of Cobb and Kaline and Greenberg at the new park, but their ghosts live at Michigan and Trumbull.  What you're doing is a disgrace.

I'm thankful for the Red Sox and the Cubs and their resistance to building new parks.  And yay Royals, for deciding to invest in Kauffman Stadium rather than moving.  Good choice.

Now, I don't at all think this will ever happen, so don't yell at me, but I keep reading stuff and hearing stuff about the Royals actually being interested in Barry Bonds.  There was an article about it in the Kansas City Star last week, and apparently it was mentioned again in some way on KC sports radio today.  I don't think Bonds would want to go to Kansas City, but it seems the Royals are going to have an assload of money to spend in the offseason.  Something like 30 million dollars.  So oddly enough, the money is there.  And the DH spot is up for grabs, since it looks like Billy Butler can actually play first base after all.  Again, I don't think Bonds would want to come, and I don't even know if I would want him, but it's interesting that it keeps popping up.  The end.

Dear various pro football and baseball teams of Detroit and Kansas City,

You're really not doing me any favors today so far.  I know it's early, but the wrong teams are winning and losing, and I need this to change.  Okay?  Okay.  Thank you.

Your pal,
Andrew

P.S. Seriously, Lions, WTF?!?!?

My apologies to Sara (though not really), but damn, go Rockies!

I am seriously loving Mike Sweeney tonight.  Big time.  It's REALLY good to finally have you back, Mike.  REALLY GOOD.  REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD.

Nice hit.  Whew!

I've seen him in person twice now, seen him hit home runs both times, and despite some shaky throws to first, I'd pretty much give anything if Kansas City could swing a trade for Devil Rays prospect Evan Longoria.  I'm so, so, SO impressed.  Just a pure hitter.  Smooth.  I love watching him play.  Give Tampa whatever they want.  How 'bout Odalis Perez?  Haaaa.  But no, seriously.  Longoria is awesome.  Awesome, I say.

Last night, I went to the game in Durham between the Bulls and the Indianapolis Indians.  I was in the second row on the third base side, about halfway between home and the outfield wall.  Right next to the visitors' bullpen.  Well, next to the warm-up area.  The players hang out more toward the outfield wall.  And as is always the case when I sit in such an area, pitchers walk from the pen to the dugout and vice versa all game long, right in front of me.  You can get a pretty good sense of these guys' personalities when you watch them saunter past.  Most are very cool.  Good guys.  Nice guys.  Some wave to little kids in the stands.  But every game, it seems like there's someone who thinks he's a BIG deal, who thinks he's pretty awesome.  You can tell from his body language, the look on his face.  He's the MAN.  It's completely off-putting, ha.  The last game I went to, Durham's own Seth McClung, the team's then-closer (he's since been traded) was that guy.  Not sure why he was so impressed with himself, but he had that swagger.  Well, last night, the man was Mr. Bret Prinz.  The onetime short-lived closer of the Arizona Diamondbacks himself.  Veteran of 102 Major League games with four teams, most recently earlier this year where he sucked with the White Sox.  Yes, last night, Mr. Prinz was THAT guy.  He wandered back and forth in front of me all night, and one thing was clear: Mr. Bret Prinz thinks he's hot shit.  He looked at no one, smiled at no one.  He was the king of that minor league team, yessir.

So to Bret Prinz tonight I say, get over yourself.  You kinda suck, dude.

So, new Royal Kyle Davies had a tough first day on the job for his new team.  Five runs in what, three innings or so?  And worse than that, he gave up A-Rod's 500th dinger.  BUT, that doesn't worry me so much, since the whole freaking pitching staff sucked today.  Big time.  And KC just has no idea what they're doing at Yankee Stadium.  I don't quite get it.  They're 3-26 in their last 29 games in the Bronx.  They're much better against the Yanks at home, so it's not that they can't beat those guys, but yeah.  That Yankee Stadium problem is bad.  And sadly for Davies, he seems to be infected now, too.  ANYWAY, all is well, because...

Octavio Dotel tonight for Atlanta?  1/3 of an inning, and he gave up a grand slam to Garrett Atkins.

Softens the blow of the poor Davies outing a bit.  Blowtel, ha-ha.  It has been funny to me to listen to all the glowing talk about Dotel, as if he's some kind of savior or something.  He is, in fact, one of those guys who'll get the job done 2/3 of the time, but he'll always make it scary, and sometimes, he'll just flat-out suck.  I really would rather have Joakim Soria closing for my team, and see what Davies can develop into, than see Dotel out there every time a game is on the line.  I like Octavio, and he seems like a great guy.  But he's no Mariano Rivera.  Or Trevor Hoffman.  Or even Bob Wickman.  Seriously.

So, back to baseball...

Buddy Bell is stepping down as KC's manager at the end of the season.  He'll remain with the team as a front-office guy, which is great.  I'm torn about this, oddly enough.  I've complained sometimes about some of Buddy's managerial tendencies, but he has really, truly grown on me.  I think he's a great, great guy.  I feel awful if his stepping down is in any way health-related, which it may be.  But yeah, I think he was becoming a pretty decent manager.  I liked his pitching management a lot over the past couple of months.  He tinkers with lineups too much, and his love of Jason LaRue makes little sense, but I like him.  I'll miss him, even.  So yeah, I am glad he'll stay with the team.  Very glad.  I'm sure he's doing what's best for himself, and that's all I would want for him.  Thanks for everything, Buddy.

Now, who will replace him?  Joe Girardi?  Frank White?  Someone mentioned Leo Mazzone, because of Dayton Moore's Atlanta connection.  Should be interesting.  I love Frank White to death.  And that's the only reason I might not want him to be manager.  As it is, he's beloved in Kansas City.  Wouldn't want a so-so club to hurt that.

And finally, REGGIE SANDERS IS GOING ON THE DL AGAIN?  FOR 4-6 WEEKS?  Eeek.  Guess this is why he didn't get traded.  I dig Reggie, but man, this has not been a good signing.

So the Royals are shipping Octavio Dotel off to Atlanta for Kyle Davies, hmm?  Unofficially.  I think this seems good.  Davies has been wildly erratic this season, but he's not far removed from, apparently, being the Braves' #1 pitching prospect.  Yeah, I think this could be a nice trade.  Nice potential there.  And Dotel is scary even on his good days.  I'll take Soria as the closer any time.

Now, let's move Reggie Sanders and get Mr. Gathright back to the bigs.