Opening Day is OVER!

Opening Day is finally over! It only took 3 days, but finally, all 30 MLB teams have officially kicked off the season, and the marathon has begun. A lot can happen in a couple of days.  

A 20 yr old hit 2 home runs in his first 2 at-bats, a pitcher threw a shutout AND hit a home run in the same game, and Yu nearly threw a perfect game.

The Reds lost their left fielder for 3 months, the Astros were in first place, and Bob Costas rapped on TV.

                I loved seeing Sandy Koufax throw out the 1^st pitch at Dodger Stadium, Chipper Jones throwing a strike to Brian McCann at Ted Turner, and Brandon Webb throwing a wild pitch in Arizona.

                Evan Longoria, Troy Tulowitzki, and Carl Crawford all reminded us what they can do on a baseball field when healthy.  

                Justin Upton, Ben Revere, and Michael Bourn all showed their new teams why they were such valuable additions in the offseason.

                Today marks Game 2 for most teams, and the first full slate of games. I’ll be watching the Braves/Phillies and Washington/Miami games, in addition to checking in on the early games (Hou/Tex, Chi/KC, Det/Min) with some actual insights and opinions now that the 2013 season is here. 

World Baseball Classic: Netherlands vs. Australia 03/05/13

This was my first (but not last) WBC game of 2013. As a baseball fan, I enjoy watching the WBC, but understand all the trappings and shortcomings of the event. The timing, the lack of motivation for American athletes, the health concerns of Major League front offices, and the apathy of American baseball fans all contribute to the lack of gravity to the overall event. But it's baseball, in March, and I love seeing players represent their countries and play baseball on a professional stage.

This matchup was really no contest, as the Netherlands had a team with several current, former, or near-ready MLB talent in Andruw Jones (ATL, LAD, CWS, NYY), Xander Bogaerts (BOS), Jonathan Schoop (BAL), Roger Bernadina (WSH) and - my favorite - Andrelton Simmons (ATL). Schoop homered in this one, Simmons displayed great range at short, and the Netherlands looked fairly solid overall.

The Aussies, on the other hand, looked terribly overmatched, like a minor league team trying to keep up with its major league counterpart. I’ve watched some Australian baseball over the past couple winters, and the talent level discrepancy is better masked there when they are playing amongst themselves, rather than talent from other countries.

The most noticeable thing from this game, however, was the crowd. Rather, the lack of one. Without exaggeration, there were maybe 150 people in the stands in Taiwan for this one. Its just sad to see an empty stadium like that for an international competition. If the WBC is to succeed, they can’t go on hosting events where the crowds aren’t. Granted, the Netherlands v. Australia matchup isn’t the Yankees v. the Dodgers, but if the event were held in a more baseball friendly locale, we could at least get 1,000 fans in the stands. Right?

Final Score: Netherlands 4 Australia 1

Netherlands advances in Pool B.

2013 WBC Innings Count: 9 

Grapefruit League: Braves vs. Phillies 02/28/13

By rule, you’re not supposed to pay much attention to spring training games. I don’t, but there are still interesting observations if you look for the right things. Since this is the first broadcast game of the year for the Braves, I took a bit of extra interest in this “contest”.

1.  Cole Hamels looks to be on track to pick up right where he left off last season, if not exceedingly so, perhaps on the way to a career year. He was hitting his spots with ease today, an encouraging sign this early in the spring for Phillies fans.
2.  Evan Gattis is going to add an interesting chapter to the Braves’ 2013 season. He showed good presence behind the plate today, and his batting practice rounds have impressed this spring, on the heels of a great season of Winter Ball and a solid minor league season in 2012. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Atlanta open the year with him serving as the primary back up to Gerald Laird until McCann returns.
3. Tyler Pastornicky cannot play adequate defense at the MLB level. His bat doesn’t compensate enough for the defensive deficiencies in his game. Once Paul Janish is healthy, Pastornicky can be assured of a full time assignment at Gwinnett, or a trade later this season to boost Atlanta’s roster for an October push. Showcasing his positional versatility would be the most beneficial thing Atlanta could do with him to increase his value on the market. Tyler hit a 3 run HR in the 7^th inning of this game that was not nearly as impressive as it sounds. It was a soft line drive that barely cleared the wall in left.
4. Philadelphia’s outfield defense is going to be a huge liability this season. Darin Ruf, Delmon Young, and John Mayberry, Jr. are sure to see plenty of at-bats (along with Domonic Brown, provided his bat holds up), and although Ben Revere is a plus defender, he can’t field every ball hit over the senior citizens in Philadelphia’s infield. Darin Ruf extremely misplayed a ball hit by Ramiro Pena in the 3^rd inning, allowing Pena to reach 3^rd base and score on the next batter.
5. Mike Adams looks to be healthy and a vastly overlooked addition to this Philadelphia team to lockdown the 8^th inning to turn the ball over to Papelbon.  

Final Score: PHL 10 ATL 5 

2013 Spring Training Innings Count: 9