MLB: First Week Ramblings

- I watched the Dice-K start yesterday at work and between hooting and hollering at every pitch I noticed that the Royals broadcast team once refered to him as "Daisuke Matsui" and once as "Matmatzaka." As always the lesson is that if you're going to let white people announce sports contests, make sure they're younger than 50. White people and Walt Frazier.

- My koworker Karl sent me this article about an ambidextrous college pitcher today. For a long time Ian has been clamoring about the benefits of an switch-pitcher and I have been saying that it's almost impossible for someone to develop pitching-level arm strength in both arms. Well, Pat Venditte has proven me wrong and Ian right- a first in the history of our friendship. I think Venditte should take this whole two-handed thing further and develop an nasty two-handed breaking pitch that he delivers over his head as if he were a soccer player tossing a ball in from the sideline. Then he could give it a cool name like "The Annihilator" and mug for the crowd when he's about to pull it out with two strikes on a guy. Sorry, I've been reading too many wikipedia professional wrestling articles today.

- The fantasy season is only three games deep and already I've decided that my drafting of A.J. Burnett over Rich Harden was the stupidest thing I will do this year. On the team in question (I have three) my pitching is anchored by Dave Bush and Rich Hill with Brad Lidge in my bullpen. Yikes. And it was all a panicky brainfart during the 12th round when I saw I hadn't drafted a starter other than Kazmir yet. And I also drafted him before Papelbon. I'm going to propose that the league commissioner just dissolve my team. Not literally though, I'm just being dramatic.

- I know it's still early in the season, but I love that a Yankees starter has not lasted further than four and a third innings in the first two games this year. And I love that A-Rod popped out with the bases-loaded last night in the eighth when the Yankees lost by only one run. I love that too. And I love that for every Jeter error, A-Rod chokejob, or loss to the Devil Rays more and more New York fans jump on the Mets' bandwagon. That's what I love most of all.

Countdown to ATB Baseball Talk!

2 days until Saj and I start talking baseball.

You have an invitation to THE blog of the baseball season. The Greatest Baseball Preview in America* begins on March 1st. Thirty-one straight days of posts. Thirty teams followed by a leaguewide preview on Friday, March 31st. Season begins Sunday, April 2nd.

Be here for all of it.


Ladies and gentlemen: introducing my new favorite beer for the 2007 Major League Baseball season:



Daisuke Matsuzaka just supplanted Junichiro Koizumi as my favorite all-time Japanese male. The title of favorite Japanese female continues to be held by Korean Margaret Cho. BASEBALL'S A-COMIN'! (props to my friend Dan for the youtube link)





*Disclaimer: These posts will be overly ambitious and overly generous in the estimation of our abilities. Stay tuned.