Tuesday, March 20, 2007

What Do I Know, Anyway?

About three weeks ago -- in this very blog -- I offered up a list of 5 pitchers I felt could surprise in 2007.

(If you'd like to see for yourself, here's the link -- http://trustyourstuff.blogspot.com/2007/02/five-pitchers-who-will-surprise-in-2007.html)

Today let's take a look back at that list and see how each of those pitchers is progressing so far this spring...

1. Tim Wakefield was my first choice, and he's penciled in nicely as the 5th starter for what figures to be a solid Red Sox rotation. Wakefield has been healthy so far this spring and has posted a 5.00 ERA in three starts. A little bothersome is the fact that Wakefield has allowed 15 hits in nine innings of work. But, hey, it's spring training...he's just working on a few things, right? I stand by my statement that 15 wins is not out of the question.

2. Zack Greinke of the Royals was my next selection, as I figure he could slide under the radar on draft day or be discounted in some way due to his off-field struggles in 2006. But Greinke has looked strong so far this spring, leading the Royals with 14 innings pitched and 14 strikeouts (against just one walk.) There's no guarantee that Greinke will end up in the rotation, but his 3.86 spring training ERA doesn't hurt -- I also stand by my statement that Greinke will be a late-round steal.

3. Next up was Jaret Wright of the Orioles, who had struggled getting his work in this spring before pitching four innings against the Mets (allowing two earned runs) earlier tonight. It's clear that the Orioles have been cautious with Wright, and I still feel that his reunion with Leo Mazzone could be a successful one. I will say, though, that after seeing Wright throw this spring I no longer see a 15-win, sub-4.00 ERA as a realistic possibility.

4. Jon Lieber of the Phillies was my fourth choice, although at the time I felt it was likely that Lieber would be traded at some point this season...and I still feel that's the case. In fact, I think it's more likely now than ever -- Lieber has pitched well this spring (one earned run in six innings) and the Phillies are beginning to talk as though he might beat out Adam Eaton for the fifth starter's job. Don't buy into that, though -- it's simply Pat Gillick building up Lieber's trade value before the inevitable deal.

5. Can I have a mulligan for my last pick? I selected Kerry Wood of the Cubs and said that he'd notch 30 saves this season. Now it looks as though Wood will open the year on the disabled list (hard to believe, isn't it?) and I'm stuck with what looks like a ridiculous prediction. Don't worry, though -- if somehow Wood does save 30 games I'll pretend I stood by my prediction all along...

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Draft Day Nightmares

Every year I have the same, Groundhog Day-like dream night after night for approximately two weeks...and it always happens at this time of year: just prior to my annual AL-only auction. I suspect – although many of you may not admit it – that I’m not the only roto geek in the world who has dreams like this. So I share this with you today as sort of a public service. One way or another, you’ll feel much better about yourself after reading this. I figure either you’ll now know that someone else suffers as you do, or, more likely, you’ll realize that compared to my problems yours are really just a drop in the bucket.

Before I begin, however, let me take a step back. Since 1995, I’ve been in a highly competitive AL-only league in the Baltimore area. It’s been fun every year – we’ve ranged from 10 to 12 teams and we have a good group of owners who know are very knowledgeable, to say the least.

This is the league I take most seriously – I’ll generally play in two to four leagues per season – and I spend much more time preparing for this draft than any other. We’re a $260 auction league with 10-man keeper lists and 10-man minor league rosters. So you need to do your homework before heading into the auction every year or else you’ll have to endure a long, tough summer full of ridicule as your team languishes near the basement.

Anyway, back to the dream...or, I should say, nightmare. (And, yes, I realize that having dreams about a rotisserie baseball draft probably means I should seek professional help. Believe me, that’s nothing I haven’t heard before.)

So the dream always begins the same way. I show up a half-hour or so early for the auction and immediately I see a few of my fellow owners in the parking lot. It’s a warm, sunny day so we spend a few minutes just standing in the parking lot, talking about which players we each feel other owners will pay ridiculous prices for.

After a few minutes of trading what amounts to mostly misinformation, we decide to head inside. I always pick a spot in the corner of the room where I can see every other owner’s face, but no one else can see my notes.

As usual, we have a few owners who show up late, and after an hour or so of ordering drinks and waiting on the late-arrivals, we finally get started.

The first name is thrown out for bid and there are the customary ooohs and aaahs, along with the usual wisecracks about how this player is likely to get injured or that he should go for no less than $50.

In every single dream of late, I should point out, Vlad Guerrero has been the first player brought up for bid. I have Vlad on my list and I jump into the bidding at the $20 level and continue on up into the $30s before backing off.

The bidding, however, keeps on going well past the $40 mark and climbs into the $50s. Once the bidding hits $56, I hear, “Once...twice...sold.” I find it a bit odd that Guerrero sells for more than I expected him to, but I cross him off my list and we move on to the next player.

But here’s where it starts to get strange. (And, again, I realize that the whole concept is strange to begin with; so cut me a break on that...)

Each time a player comes up he always sells for a much higher price than I had forecast. I can’t force myself to overpay for players early in the draft, so I jump out of the bidding and watch as the players begin to fly by. Player after player comes and goes...and I’m not getting any of them.

Joe Mauer comes up and I become determined to finally land my first big name. After the bidding opens at $10, I jump in and try a pre-emptive surprise bid by pounding my fist on the table and yelling, “$35 FOR MAUER!!”

The commissioner repeats my bid, saying “OK...$35 for Mauer going once...going twice...”

But then I hear “$36.” I figure someone is bidding me up, so I jump over $37 and go straight to $38. But it’s no use, as I soon hear “$39...$40...$41...”

At this point a full-scale bidding war breaks out and Mauer's price jumps to $50. I figure that’s too rich for my blood, so I back off and feel secure in the knowledge that I’ll soon have control of the auction as everyone else will have over-spent way too early.

This continues for several rounds. Each time a player comes up for bid I jump into the fray but the bidding always carries on well beyond what I feel comfortable spending on that player. So I wind up dropping out.

I come close to getting Aubrey Huff for $25 but then get blindsided by another owner who suddenly bids $30. I make a run at Mariano Rivera – in fact I come within a half-second of hearing the word “sold” – before someone else jumps in and bids him up into the mid-$40s. This just goes on and on...player after player.

But for some reason, each time we do a recap of how much money each owner has left to spend, everyone else always still has plenty of money. 30 or 40 players have sold for $40 to $50 each yet somehow everyone else still has more money than I do and they have complete control of the auction.

Let me stop here and point out that I realize – in the light of day – that this makes absolutely no sense. I understand completely the idea that each time a player sells for more than he is forecast to, that means another player will sell for less than I thought. I get that.

It’s just that it never works out that way in my dream. After a few more rounds, I become the butt of nearly every joke as I still have NO PLAYERS. Everyone else has a team loaded with all-stars and I’m sitting there with an empty roster.

The dream gets fuzzier for a bit, but then near the end I select each of my players – for $1 each – as my fellow owners pack up and leave. A few stop by to console me on their way out but most of them just shake their heads and laugh, as if they’ve gotten away with some sort of hilarious crime.

As I drive home I keep trying to piece it together and figure out why I’m left with a roster full of $1 players and more than $200 in unspent draft dollars. I go over the numbers in my head again and again but I can just never figure it out.

The dream always begins and ends the same way. We always start with Johan Santana, and I always wind up completely frustrated and confused as I leave the room having left over $200 on the table. As it’s happening I know it makes no sense but I am absolutely powerless to stop it.

This has gone on now for five straight years – I just keep having this very same dream over and over in the nights leading up to my draft. It’s not something that keeps me awake or causes anything more than mild curiosity and slight annoyance...but for the life of me I can’t figure out why it keeps happening.

So as your draft approaches, I hope you sleep much more soundly than I do...and I hope you leave your “real” roto draft with not a dollar to spare.

As for me, I have a few more nights to figure out a solution to this puzzle, as my draft isn’t until March 31. That’s 14 more nights of settling in for the best day of the year – Draft Day – only to have each draft quickly dissolve into a baffling dream fit for the likes of Bill Murray.

So, again, I wish you the best of luck on draft day. But if the first player brought up at your draft is Johan Santana, you may want to spend whatever it takes to get him...just to be on the safe side.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Seven Annoying Things About Spring Training

Now that we're into the middle of March, we'll soon begin hearing from some of MLB's veterans that they can't wait for spring training to end.

I can't say I agree with that sentiment -- after all, I still feel like I need more time to prepare for my fantasy draft -- but I will say that I find myself becoming more easily annoyed with certain parts of spring training.

So today, I plan to vent a little bit. Here are the seven things I find most annoying about spring training...

1. Closers pitching in the middle innings -- Listen, I understand that managers want their closers pitching against legitimate big league competition rather than the prospects and suspects typically in the game for the ninth inning. But there's just something odd about seeing pitchers like Mariano Rivera or Bobby Jenks entering a game in the fifth inning. More importantly, when I see a pitcher -- like Tampa Bay's Juan Salas -- pitching the ninth inning, I get excited about the prospect of finding a new closer...only to realize later that the ninth inning was completely meaningless.

2. Spring training broadcasts filled with features -- The people who produce spring training television and radio broadcasts have become incredibly annoying. Over the past couple of years, it seems, it has become fashionable to run an interview with a player -- or, in some cases, an entire press conference -- while virtually ignoring the action on the field. I realize the producers are trying to appeal to a mass audience, but a junkie like me really wants to know what's happening on the field. And speaking of that...

3. Identify all the players, please -- Nothing bothers me more than watching a telecast of, say, a Colorado Rockies game where the Rockies telecasters completely ignore the names of the opposing players. And what's more -- the production staff doesn't even bother to identify the players with graphics once the regulars leave the game. Listen, if you're going to go to all the trouble to actually broadcast the game, you could at least tell me who's playing.

4. Teams that send down their prospects too soon -- One of the great things about watching spring training baseball on television is you get the chance to see both the big leaguers and the top prospects on the field in the same game. But some teams have gotten into the habit of sending their top prospects down to their minor league camp after just a week or so of exhibition games, leaving only the big league players and a bunch of 30-year-old career Triple-A types. Here's an idea for Bud Selig: why not mandate that teams not make cuts any earlier than March 15? And for the first two weeks of the exhibition schedule, why not "strongly suggest" that teams feature three of their top prospects and at least four of their regular players in the starting lineup at all times?

5. Fans on cell phones waving behind the backstop -- I appreciate the fact that NESN and the Boston Red Sox televise so many games from City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. But do any of the ushers actually work there? Or is it just accepted practice that fans take turns walking down to the seats behind home plate so they can wave furiously while telling their friends back home to "Look at me, I'm on TV"? And this isn't a problem exclusive to Fort Myers. Again, I think the commissioner should step in here and have these people banned from attending ballgames for life.

6. Non-apology-apologies -- Seems like this has become another rite of spring. A couple of years ago we had Jason Giambi's apology -- for "something" -- just before spring training began. Then we had the infamous Congressional hearings in 2005, with plenty of doubletalk. And this year, we've heard Gary Matthews Jr. apologize for the "distraction" on one day and then deny that he did anything wrong soon after. The way I see it, unless you're planning to tell me what you're apologizing for, don't bother. Think of it this way: would your wife accept a general apology without details? Not a chance -- in fact, we all know that a stunt like that would actually make things worse than if we didn't apologize in the first place.

7. Fashion sense -- I think we can all agree that the new spring training caps look terrible. I understand wanting to market new gear, but shouldn't someone check first to make sure the new gear actually looks good? And beyond that, I'm sick of seeing those batting practice jerseys. Here's another rule proposal: All MLB teams are allowed to wear batting practice jerseys until March 17. On March 17, of course, all teams should wear green for St. Patrick's Day. And from March 18 until Opening Day, all teams should be required to wear their regular season uniforms.

OK -- rant over. My apologies for throwing so much negativity out there during such a positive, relaxed time as spring training. I'll be back with more tomorrow...

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Weekend That Was

While most of the country focused its attention on NCAA basketball this past weekend, a few of us -- including those of you reading this blog -- remain locked in on MLB spring training.

So instead of filling out brackets and talking about Cinderella, people like us prepare draft lists and talk about guys like Mirabelli.

(OK...that's an awful line -- but you get what you pay for with this blog.)

Here are some observations from the weekend...

* Orioles starter Jaret Wright looked strong against the Washington Nationals on Friday, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out three while allowing just one hit. It's still too early to say for sure whether or not Wright will regain his 2004 form under pitching coach Leo Mazzone, but I think it's possible. Before jumping on the Wright bandwagon with both feet, though, I'd like to see how Wright looks when he gets stretched out to four or five innings in spring training.

* I turned on the Cubs-Padres game on Friday afternoon for just a little while, but in the short time I was watching I saw Alfonso Soriano misplay yet another ball in center field. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a fly ball just over Soriano's head that went for a double in the second inning, but it was a ball that should have been caught. Kouzmanoff, by the way, later homered in the game and is hitting .353 (6-for-17) so far this spring with a .765 slugging percentage.

* So were you wondering how Adam Wainright's transition from World Series closer into 2007 starting pitcher was going? Here's an update: Wainright pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball against the Orioles on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, scattering five hits and a walk. Those five hits, by the way, were the first allowed by Wainright all spring. So far he has pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings.

* The Daisuke Matsuzaka hype continues. (And, yes, I realize I have both contributed to and bought into this hype so far this spring.) But I found it interesting that the Orioles sent six regulars across Alligator Alley on Sunday to face Matsuzaka in Fort Myers. Matsuzaka was hit around a bit -- he allowed a pair of homers -- but the players who did the damage aren't exactly regulars: Jon Knott and Jason Dubois.

* What cracks me up about the Matsuzaka story is the latest tact taken by the media: suggesting that Matsuzaka is overhyped and that there is too much attention being paid to him this spring. Well, who exactly do you think created this hype? And who's paying so much attention? The media, perhaps?

* Has there ever been a player who has dropped off the face of the earth as quickly -- and completely -- as Javy Lopez? Think about it: just four years ago, a then-32-year-old Lopez hit .328 with 43 home runs and 109 RBI in his free agent season for the Atlanta Braves. Lopez signed on with Baltimore, where he his numbers declined in each of the next two seasons (.316-23-86 in 2004 and .278-15-49 in 2005.) The 2006 season was a disaster -- he was replaced by Ramon Hernandez in the Baltimore lineup...he failed miserably in an attempt to play first base in spring training...and he was sent to Boston after hitting .265 with 8 home runs and 31 RBI in just 76 games. With the Red Sox -- who were desperate for catching help at the time -- Lopez hit just .190 in 18 games before being shown the door. And now -- with three weeks to go in spring training -- Lopez has been released by the Colorado Rockies. What's amazing is that Lopez is still only 36 years old...but it seems as though his skills have declined to the point where he's truly 46.

* Here's a potential sleeper for late in NL-only drafts: Washington outfielder Chris Snelling. Snelling, the former Mariners' prospect, has battled injuries and has never quite developed into the player many expected. But he's hitting so far this spring: a .294 average (5-for-17) with a game-winning, three-run 8th-inning home run against the Mets earlier today. Snelling will clearly get a long look in Washington, as the team is not hiding the fact that 2007 is a year for evaluating talent.

More tomorrow...

Thursday, March 8, 2007

18 Wins for Daniel Cabrera?

I've said it before in this space, but it bears repeating: I'm an Orioles fan. A long-suffering Orioles fan.

So take the following with a grain of salt:

Daniel Cabrera has turned the corner.

Yes, I realize it's still early in spring training. But Cabrera looked very strong this afternoon against the New York Mets. And so far this spring, he's pitched five innings, struck out six, allowed two base hits and -- most importantly -- he hasn't walked a single batter.

Cabrera has all the talent in the world, and his inability to throw strikes last season so frustrated the Orioles that they sent him to the minors. But after Cabrera returned, he seemed to look like a more mature pitcher. And he very nearly no-hit the New York Yankees in the final week of the season.

The difference this spring with Cabrera -- and I've seen both of his appearances on television -- is that his delivery seems more consistent. In short, he looks like a veteran out there. And that newfound poise -- combined with his immense talent -- is why I'm predicting a minimum of 18 wins for Cabrera this season.

Now...on to more observations from today's game...

* Orlando Hernandez started for the Mets, making his first appearance of the spring. So how did he get things started? With a 63-mph curveball that leadoff hitter Ruddy Yan could only stare at. That's just not fair.

* El Duque pitched a scoreless first inning, but then was roughed up in the second. Hernandez allowed five runs -- and faced ten men in the inning -- allowing six hits and a walk.

* Cabrera, as I mentioned earlier, got the start for Baltimore and looked great. He's changing speeds more often it seems, and that makes his fastball simply overpowering. He ended all three of his innings with strikeouts, including called third strikes to close out the first and second frames. In all, Cabrera struck out four and allowed just one hit in three innings of work.

* Orioles outfielder -- and former Met -- Jay Payton doubled to right field in the first and fifth innings. Every time I've seen Payton hit this spring, he's gone the other way with the ball.

* One thing that always fascinates me about spring training is the fact that in many parks, the managers and coaches sit on lawn furniture. Am I the only one who thinks this would be a great idea for the regular season as well? Imagine it -- the players stay in the dugout, while the coaching staff sits on oversized, white plastic lawn chairs near the on-deck circle. This might even present a great sponsorship opportunity, as companies would have to bid for the rights to be the official managerial lawn furniture of Major League Baseball.

* Baltimore catcher -- and Rule V selection -- Adam Donachie hit a three-run bomb to left field off Hernandez in the second inning. I still think he's a longshot to make the team, but a couple more drives like that and he could stick as Ramon Hernandez's backup...and it looks like he has some power.

* Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey -- the team's top prospect, according to Baseball America -- took over for Hernandez to begin the third and was very impressive. Pelfrey allowed two runs (both unearned) in three innings pitched. But here's the impressive part: 12 of the 13 batters Pelfrey faced hit the ball on the ground. (Of course, the Mets misplayed a couple of those, leading to the runs.) But Pelfrey seems like a very strong groundball pitcher who has a bright future -- I could easily see him in the Mets' rotation at some point this season.

* Shawn Green finally ended his slump -- which had climbed to 0-for-15 -- with a single to right field off of lefty Kurt Birkins in the sixth inning.

* I also had a chance to catch some of the game in Viera, Florida between the Astros and Nationals. The Nats wore their "camo" hats for this game and I have to say those could be the ugliest baseball caps I've ever seen. Seriously. I'm color blind, yet I still know that the mix of colors in those hats was awful.

* Former Rockie Jason Jennings got the start for Houston and he struggled early. Jennings allowed three runs in the first on a walk, a double and two singles. In the second, Jennings surrendered an RBI double to deep center off the bat of Christian Guzman...but he did settle down to pitch a scoreless third inning before calling it a day.

* I'll be back tomorrow with more...

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Dice-K, Bay-bee!

That's right -- I got him.

After obsessing over Daisuke Matsuzaka all spring long...I landed him earlier tonight in the FantasyAuctioneer.com AL-only Experts League.

And for the low price of just $29.

Tonight's auction meant I didn't get to see much in the way of games today (although I had the YES Network broadcast of the Reds-Yankees game on in the background and saw the Roger Clemens love-fest...and the scare early in the game when a shattered bat came flying at Andy Pettitte.)

I'll go over the championship team I assembled in just a moment. But first, a public service announcement: My sportsblurb.com column is up for this week. You can check it out at http://sportsblurb.com/baseball/game.asp.

OK, now onto the squad. The league is a 13-team (ugh!) AL-only league with a $260 cap...no keepers...and a five-round reserve draft following the auction. Here's what the boys look like for '07...

C - Greg Zaun, $6
C - Vance Wilson, $1
1B - Shea Hillenbrand, $11
2B - Brian Roberts, $26
3B - Akinori Iwamura, $12
SS - Juan Uribe, $6
CI - Aubrey Huff, $21
OF - Jermaine Dye, $27
OF - Raul Ibanez, $18
OF - Reed Johnson, $11
OF - Willy Mo Pena, $9
OF - Marcus Thames, $4
DH - Jay Gibbons, $9
P - Daisuke Matsuzaka, $29
P - Adam Loewen, $12
P - Jon Garland, $9
P - Kevin Millwood, $6
P - Luke Hudson, $1
P - Francisco Rodriguez, $35
P - Justin Duchsherer, $4
P - Danys Baez, $1
P - Jesse Crain, $1
Res - Travis Buck
Res - Adam Jones
Res - Juan Salas
Res - Edison Volquez
Res - Francisco Rosario

So there you have it -- the 2007 Fantasy Auctioneer AL-only Experts League Champions.

More tomorrow...

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Why Javier Vazquez Was Distracted Today...

I can’t tell you how great it is to have electricity again. After high winds knocked out power for most of Monday, Tuesday was back to normal…although there was just one game available on television: the White Sox vs. Rockies from Tucson.

* Kind of an interesting day for White Sox starter Javier Vazquez. The veteran right-hander took the mound at Tucson Electric Park against the Colorado Rockies and did not look good at all, allowing a pair of runs in both the first and second innings before settling down a bit to pitch a perfect third.

* But during the fourth inning, it was learned that Vazquez may have been a bit preoccupied during this start. After all, if you had just signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension wouldn’t you have your mind on how you could best go about spending that money?

* Vazquez had two outs and no one on in the top of the second before hurting himself with his glove. He allowed back-to-back infield singles to Chris Ianetta and Willy Taveras but he got a glove on both and should have gotten an out on either ball. As you’d expect, the next hitter – Kaz Matsui – tripled down the right field line to make it a 4-0 game.

* Call me crazy, but I just can’t see the marriage of Rodrigo Lopez and Coors Field working out so well. Lopez allowed opponents to hit him at a .302 clip in 2006…not exactly the type of numbers that will spell success in Colorado.

* Lopez had been cruising along until the third, when he allowed a single by Darin Erstad, an RBI double by Juan Uribe…and a long, line drive home run to right by A.J. Pierzynski on a changeup left up in the zone.

* Got a good look at Rockies’ #1 prospect Troy Tulowitzki in this game, as he played shortstop and hit eighth in the order. Tulowitzki struck out against Vazquez in the second inning and then swung and missed at a 1-2 curveball from left-hander Matt Thornton in the fourth. In the sixth, Tulowitzki ripped an 0-1 curve from Adam Russell into left for a solid double to finish the day 1-for-3.

* Rockies catcher Chris Ianetta, the team’s #8 prospect, according to Baseball America, singled off of Vazquez in the second, but was overmatched by Thornton in the fourth inning, striking out on three pitches. In the sixth, Ianetta worked a walk off of Adam Russell and finished the day 1-for-2 with a run scored.

* Yet another Rockies prospect – right-hander Jason Hirsh – also made an appearance in this game and was very impressive. Hirsh came over to Colorado along with Willy Taveras in the deal with Houston for Jason Jennings, and Hirsh currently ranks as Colorado’s #3 prospect, according to BA. Hirsh pitched three scoreless innings and allowed just one hit. In his first inning of work, Hirsh retired the side in order on a pair of pop-ups and a grounder. Then in the fifth, Hirsh retired the first two hitters before allowing a two-out single by Junior Spivey, who was quickly erased attempting to steal. Hirsh finished his day by retiring the White Sox in order in the sixth and showed off a hard slider that fooled several hitters.

* 6’8” right-hander Adam Russell, the White Sox #8 overall prospect according to Baseball America, came into the game in the fifth and pitched two innings for Chicago. Russell pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, but then struggled in the sixth. Russell allowed an infield single to Matt Holliday and then gave up a monster home run over the batter’s eye in center field to Brad Hawpe. Russell did show an above-average pickoff move, nearly picking off Holliday just before allowing the long home run.

* MLB.TV provided a glimpse of the Padres and Diamondbacks earlier this evening, in a game where both Chris Young and Brandon Webb pitched three innings. Arizona’s Scott Hairston touched up Young for a two-run home run in the second, but nothing else of note happened in the four innings I saw.

* Three televised games are on tap for tomorrow but I may not have time to watch them and post a blog entry. My first draft of the season takes place tomorrow night – the FantasyAuctioneer.com AL-only experts league…where I’m looking to get back in the winner’s circle. Much like the White Sox, I had a great 2005 – winning a championship – but I was unable to repeat in ’06.

Monday, March 5, 2007

If it's not one thing...

If it's not one thing, it's another.

After complaining for days about how Directv was keeping me from watching televised spring training games, today I can't blame them at all.

Today, I can blame Mother Nature. High winds knocked out the power at my house just before the 1:00 games were to begin and I've only recently gotten the lights back on. (I won't even mention the piece of siding that has blown half-off my house and keeps slamming into the wall, making an incredibly loud noise...)

So no recaps from today; my apologies. If the house is still standing -- and the lights remain on -- I'll have more tomorrow.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Directv is KILLING me

It happened again.

The Twins-Red Sox broadcast was supposed to appear at 1:00 p.m. today on channel 660. So I set up my Tivo accordingly.

What did I get? About a half-hour of an ACC Women's Basketball Tournament game, followed by three hours' worth of a Directv logo.

It seems like it's impossible for Directv to get through an entire weekend without a programming error that takes away all or part of a spring training broadcast.

But I've spent time in this blog ranting about Directv for days...I'll simply keep the rest of my screaming to myself for now and get on to the games I was able to see.

* The Cubs and White Sox did battle today in Mesa, Arizona and it was Alfonso Soriano's first televised game as a Cub. Soriano got the start in center field and took a terrible route on a flyball hit by Junior Spivey in the third inning. Soriano made the play, but he turned a routine ball into a bit of an adventure; it seems like this will be an ongoing story this spring.

* White Sox starter Jon Garland pitched three scoreless innings, allowing only two hits -- both off the bat of Soriano. Other than that, Garland looked strong.

* Right-hander Julio Mateo -- the Cubs' #11 prospect, according to Baseball America -- took the mound for the Cubs in the third inning. Mateo pitched a scoreless third inning before imploding in the fourth, allowing a pair of walks before delivering a belt-high fastball to Jermaine Dye. Dye crushed that pitch well over the wall in left field for a three-run homer. Two batters later, Rob Mackowiak got a fastball down-and-in and golfed it over the wall in right. As Mackowiak circled the bases, Lou Piniella began his walk to the mound to end Mateo's day.

* For the second time in just four days, I got a chance to see knuckleballer Charlie Haeger take the hill for the White Sox. Haeger pitched a pair of scoreless innings against the Rockies on Thursday, leading me to praise him for his 84-mph fastball. Maybe I should take that back -- Haeger fell behind the first hitter he faced today, Derrek Lee, and grooved a 3-1 fastball clocked at 82 miles per hour. Needless to say, Lee deposited that pitch over the left field wall for a home run.

* In the fifth inning, Paul Konerko hit an absolute bomb to left field off of John Webb -- a mammoth shot that cleared the bleachers beyond the wall and landed in the parking lot. It was Konerko's second home run of the day...and it could easily be the longest home run hit in Mesa all spring.

* Former Rangers prospect John Danks took over for the White Sox in the sixth inning. Danks, of course, came over to Chicago in the deal that sent Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. Danks was hitting 92 mph on the radar gun with his fastball; he allowed a leadoff single in the sixth before retiring three straight hitters.

* Because the Twins-Red Sox game wasn't available on Directv, I fired up the MLB.TV and watched some of the Phillies-Yankees game from Clearwater. Neither Derek Jeter nor Alex Rodriguez made the road trip, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Jose Tabata -- the Yankees' #2 prospect, according to BA -- hitting cleanup for the Bombers.

* Tabata squared off against Cole Hamels in the first inning and bounced to third. Tabata finished one-for-four.

* Hamels looked very strong, allowing just two hits in three scoreless innings. Hamels seemed to have mid-season location on his pitches, and he threw a great fastball on the outside corner to get Johnny Damon looking in the third inning.

* For the Yankees, Carl Pavano got the start. Yes, you read that correctly -- Carl Pavano pitched in a game. Pavano was quoted after the game as saying he felt great and was happy with his performance, but I thought he looked rusty. Pavano allowed a hit and a walk in the first, and allowed a long single off the wall in right to Wes Helms in the third inning.

* Finally -- since there wasn't much else of interest on the field during this game -- I will say that it was a bit strange listening to Gary Matthews in the Phillies' broadcast booth. Matthews, of course, has been an analyst before (with Milwaukee, I believe) but his voice will take some getting used to this season...

* Three televised games on the schedule for tomorrow -- assuming Directv cooperates -- so I'll have some observations tomorrow evening...

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Another year, another analyst

Today marked the debut of the new Washington Nationals broadcast team on MASN, as Don Sutton made his debut alongside Bob Carpenter.

This makes three color analysts (Ron Darling and Tom Paciorek came before Sutton) and two play-by-play men (Mel Proctor handled the duties in 2005) in three seasons for the Nationals.

Don't get me wrong: I think Sutton is strong and he'll form a solid team with Carpenter. But at some point a little continuity might be in order for the fans' sake...

Now on to some observations from today's telecasts...

* Washington starter (likely the only Nats' starting pitcher you can name) looked good in his first two innings of work this spring. He allowed three hits in the first inning, but he kept the Orioles' hitters off balance; those three hits weren't exactly hit hard. In the second inning, Patterson looked especially strong...and that's a good sign considering his injury troubles in 2006.

* New Orioles' outfielder Jay Payton went the opposite way for an RBI single in the first and then grounded up the middle for another RBI single in the third. In his next at-bat, Payton flew out to left -- proving that he could, in fact, hit the ball in three different directions in three straight at-bats.

* Joel Hanrahan took over for Patterson in the third, but he'd have been better off had he not shown up at the ballpark. Hanrahan looked terrible, allowing three hits, three walks and five earned runs while retiring just one batter.

* Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis looks like he wants to put any talk of a sophomore jinx to bed immediately -- he went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double; he still looks like a star in the making to me.

* Nats' third base prospect Kory Casto had a single up the middle off of lefthander John Parrish in the eighth. I've seen Casto play in the minors a few times and he still has that good-looking swing I remember. Only problem is...there's a fellow named Zimmerman blocking his path in Washington.

* Directv screwed up again today, causing out-of-market fans to miss the first three innings of the Phillies-Red Sox game. So I got to see none of Tim Wakefield's outing. Directv does this every spring; they incorrectly make spring games unavailable...then they realize their mistake an hour or so into the broadcast. It's incredibly frustrating, and their customer service department provides absolutely zero assistance.

* From what I did see, however, Jonathan Papelbon was very impressive. His fastball looked strong, and he used it to strike out Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and the immortal Greg Dobbs in his two perfect innings.

* Joel Pineiro isn't having the kind of spring that will help him win the Red Sox closer's job. Pineiro came on in the fifth for Boston and -- with a runner on first -- left an 0-2 pitch to the aforementioned Dobbs right in the middle of the plate. Dobbs smacked it over the right field wall for a two-run homer.

* Pineiro was lifted after allowing four hits, four earned runs and two walks in just 1 1/3 innings. Not good.

* Even though it's only spring training, Mike Lowell still murders the Phillies. Lowell went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the fifth.

* It looks like tomorrow will bring us telecasts of the Red Sox-Twins game from Fort Myers as well as the Cubs and White Sox from Arizona. I'll see you after tomorrow's games...

Friday, March 2, 2007

Daisuke Goes to College

There was only one full spring training game televised today (and that was rather uneventful) to go along with the NESN coverage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's start against Boston College.

Let's get right to what we learned...

* Atlanta starter John Smoltz was snapping off some mid-season curveballs in the first inning and making the Pirates' hitters look foolish. In the second, Smoltz threw a first-pitch knuckleball to good friend and former teammate Adam LaRoche...but I don't think Tim Wakefield has anything to worry about. Smoltz's knuckleball didn't look like the kind of pitch you'll see in the regular season.

* In the fifth inning, Bob Wickman came on to pitch for the Braves. I don't want to sound rude here, but I actually started to wonder if ESPN was showing a replay of a game from the mid-'80s with Terry Forster on the mound. Wickman is not quite as wide as Forster at this point...but he's getting close.

* Braves right fielder Jeff Francouer got a fat fastball from Pirates prospect Franquelis Osoria in the bottom of the fifth and crushed it over the left field fence.

* Former Pirate Mike Gonzalez pitched the sixth for Atlanta, and he didn't look good. Gonzalez walked the first hitter and then allowed a wind-blown home run to Brad Eldred before settling down.

* In the seventh, Pirates shortstop Brian Bixler (the team's #8 prospect, according to Baseball America) crushed a high fastball from Oscar Villareal. There's no doubt the home run was wind-aided, but still...it cleared the fence with plenty to spare.

* Josh Sharpless, Pittsburgh's #6 prospect according to BA, pitched the eighth inning but doesn't look overly impressive. His fastball topped out at 90 mph and he doesn't appear to have anything more than an average breaking ball.

* Aside from the few highlights listed above, today's game between the Pirates and Braves was one of the more uneventful spring games you'll see -- very few top prospects and nothing noteworthy from any superstars.

* NESN provided live coverage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's first start in a Red Sox uniform, although they cut away from the game after Matsuzaka departed.

* Daisuke's first pitch was a 91 mph fastball that was slapped the opposite way for a double by the B.C. leadoff hitter. That, however, would be the last hit Matsuzaka would allow.

* Matsuzaka finished up the first inning strong -- striking out the last two hitters to strand a runner at third.

* As for Matsuzaka's stuff, his fastball topped out at 92 mph on the NESN gun, and he displayed a sharp, downward-breaking curveball. He also threw at least one slider and may have even mixed in a changeup (although I didn't notice one.)

* In the second, Matsuzaka was perfect...and then his night was over. He certainly benefited from two "generous" (according to one B.C. player interviewed in-game) third strike calls during this outing. All in all, Matsuzaka threw 25 pitches (19 strikes), struck out three and allowed just one hit.

* Tomorrow (Saturday) looks like a much better day, with three games available via satellite and one more via MLB.TV. I'll post items of note from those games tomorrow evening.

* Before I wrap up today's entry, though, I wanted to comment on the news reports suggesting that the MLB Extra Innnings deal with Directv may soon be announced. A story hit the wires earlier tonight about a letter sent by Directv to the FCC in response to their inquiry. What's interesting about this is the fact that Directv spelled out some of the improvements to the E.I. package, which include more games in hi-def and a channel that features live cut-ins to games (similar to the NFL's "Red Zone" channel.) Now if only they could figure out a way to include Phillies, Padres and Blue Jays games in the package on a regular basis...

Thursday, March 1, 2007

The Full Schedule

There was a full slate of games earlier today in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues -- which means baseball addicts like me now have plenty of box scores to review.

It doesn't matter if the starters are gone after just a few innings -- what matters is the chance to see how those starters look...and the chance to see how the prospects who replace them fare as well.

Here are some notes from the games I was able to watch today...

* I will confess -- I did not watch any games live today, as I instead opted for the radio broadcast of the Orioles-Marlins game at 1:00. As a lifelong Orioles fan, I love the fact that the team always broadcasts the spring training opener. It's great to hear the voice of Joe Angel once again; it's like an old friend has returned from a vacation and now plans to drop by for a few hours every day for the next seven months.

* Judging by the performance of Birds starter Steve Trachsel, I think I was better off with a radio description, anyway. Trachsel allowed the first five batters he faced to reach and the Marlins lead 3-0 before he had retired a batter. Ouch.

* Fortunately -- through the miracle of Tivo -- I was able to catch a few other games today. In Tampa, Johnny Damon led off the bottom half of the first with a home run off of Twins starter Carlos Silva. And then in the second, Jason Giambi hit an absolute bomb -- well over the right field wall -- on a sinker that Silva left hanging in the middle of the plate.

* "Phil" (not "Phillip", according to Michael Kay of the YES Network) took the mound for the Yankees to start the third inning after starter Chien-Ming Wang opened the game with two perfect innings. Hughes looked like a young pitcher with good stuff, but he did struggle with his control at times.

* For the rest of the spring, I think I'm going to keep a running count of how many times a Yankee broadcaster says that Hughes reminds him of a "young Roger Clemens." I didn't keep an official tally today, but I know I heard it at least three times.

* Hughes allowed a hit, two walks and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings (33 pitches) and he finished his afternoon with an impressive punchout of American League MVP Justin Morneau.

* Twins' right-hander Kevin Slowey -- Minnesota's #3 prospect, according to Baseball America -- also entered the game in the third inning. Slowey struggled a bit (two hits and two walks in two scoreless innnigs) but it's easy to understand why. After pitching in Double-A New Britain last season, Slowey faced Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posado, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera to begin his afternoon. Talk about a step up in class...

* We got a chance to see 6'4" right-hander Russ Ohlendorf for the Yankees in the fifth. Ohlendorf came to the Yankees as part of the Randy Johnson trade; prior to that deal he was Arizona's 10th best prospect, according to BA. Ohlendorf threw two scoreless innings, but what was most notable (and ironic, given the opponent) to me was the fact that Ohlendorf's windup is very similar to that of former Twins ace Brad Radke.

* I didn't realize it when I first started watching the game, but apparently there was a special promotion at Legends Field for this game. That's right...it was sidearm left-hander's day. Randy Choate and Mike Venafro did the honors for Minnesota while Mike Myers did likewise for the Yankees. I would not have wanted to be a left-handed hitting minor leaguer during the middle innings of this game.

* Before I move on to the next game, let me pause ten seconds to complain about Directv. Listen, I understand these spring training games are coming through as part of the sports package and I'm not actually paying any more for them as part of MLB Extra Innings. But it's very frustrating to try and watch a game when Directv mistakenly blacks it out for an hour, as was the case with the Cardinals-Mets telecast from Port St. Lucie this afternoon. When my recording began, it was already the bottom of the fourth inning. It's stuff like this that has me very concerned about the potential deal with MLB to make Directv the exclusive provider of the Extra Innings package. These kind of mistakes happen all the time -- and not just with baseball -- and it's virtually impossible to get someone on the phone who can do anything other than read from a script about territorial blackouts...

* OK, rant over -- and my apologies for not having anything to report on the Cards-Mets game.

* In Tucson today, the White Sox and Rockies squared off for the second day in a row. And while we're on the subject of technical glitches, I guess it's OK for me to assume that Jeff Francis really wasn't hitting 102 mph on the radar gun even though that's what it said on the FSN Rocky Mountain score line?

* In the second inning, White Sox starter Heath Phillips (three hits, one walk and one earned run in two innings) made what was quite possibly the worst pickoff throw I've ever seen. The left-handed Phillips fired to first base and missed the target by at least ten feet to the left. Seriously...his pickoff attempt looked more like a single between first and second than a pickoff throw. The runner (Matt Miller) made it all the way to third, but I don't know how he got that far without stopping to laugh.

* White Sox knuckleballer Charlie Haeger took over for Phillips in the third and pitched two scoreless innings. By rule, any knuckleballer named Charlie deserves and demands your respect. But Haeger also has an 84 mph fastball (assuming the gun was accurate) that keeps hitters honest.

* Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado's #6 prospect, according to BA) looks like he has good stuff. He showed a good curveball and changeup to go along with a 94 mph fastball in his two scoreless innings. He got Joe Crede swinging on a nice high fastball in the fourth inning. The only issue with Jimenez may be his control; the stuff looks like it's there.

* Oscar Rivera came into the game for Colorado in the fifth. Rivera was signed out of the Mexican League on the recommendation of front office assistant Vinny Castilla (yes, THAT Vinny Castilla.) If Rivera makes the team, Colorado will owe his Mexican League squad a $1.3 million bonus. Not exactly Daisuke money, but also not chump change.

* The Rockies' broadcasters said that Castilla referred to Rivera as a left-handed Greg Maddux. That officially makes three ridiculous comparisons (Hughes-to-Clemens...Ohlendorf-to-Radke...and now Rivera-to-Maddux) in just one blog entry. Who do I think I am, anyway -- Jim Callis? (OK, OK...I'll stop.) Anyway, Rivera looked impressive in his first inning of work, but gave up a 2-run homer to Crede in his second inning. He did strike out three batters in two innings and showed an above-average curveball.

That's all for today -- back with more tomorrow, including observations from the Braves-Pirates game (1:00, ESPN) and Daisuke Matsuzaka's first start for the Red Sox against Boston College (6:00, NESN). See you tomorrow.