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...