Batter Up June 5th

Interleague play starts next week and it is OK by me with this proviso. I would change the number of games played between the two leagues. I’d schedule one random series, then one weekend of whichever geographical rivals I could match.

It’s bad enough for a team trying to get to the playoffs to play teams in its own league an uneven amount of times, but throw in games from the other league and it just isn’t fair.

How do you think the resurgent Mets feel playing the Yankees six times while the Marlins get to square off half a dozen times with Tampa Bay?

You can’t blame this one all on Bud because the idea for interleague play was first kicked around way back in the 1920’s.

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Marty– I ws involved in a spirited baseball discussion in the middle of last night’s game. Are the Giants for real? Was their ten game winning streak reality and not an erroneous perception? Are they in the hunt for a postseason spot? Finally, should we not have given up on them?

The gentleman’s view, despite his being, in every respect save his baseball judgment, exceedingly smart, might be somewhat colored by the fact that he is an ardent fan, has season tickets and it took a long time to convince him that Marvin Benard was an albatross around the team’s neck.

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The A’s won the game last night, but Eric Chavez took a Damaso Marte pitch right on his hand leaving the game with a bruise and a trip to the X Ray machine.

More news on his condition today.

The White Sox are a much improved team and crush the ball from the right side. If they could get some high on base percentage hitters in front of their power hitters, they may have a lineup that resembles the early season Angels.

Esteban Loaiza wasn’t his sharpest last night as many balls were hit hard, then turned into long outs.

The A’s bullpen was excellent until Chad Bradford stayed in beyond what he is accustomed to. Frank Thomas took him deep to make the score 4-3 A’s. Jim Mecir hung a screwball to Jose Valentin and that tied the score with two out in the ninth.

Justin Duchsecherer who will be the closer before too much longer completely dominated the Sox until Bobby Kielty homered from the right side off of lefty Neal Cotts in the 12th to end the game.

Today it will be quick. Mark Buehrle and Mark Mulder don’t throw games that last more than two hours and change. The weather is good so expect some homers. Buehrle has gotten rocked in the Coliseum before so I expect this one will be the A’s game today.

The Angels must be concerned about Bartolo Colon and Troy Percival. Both got hit hard last night even though the Angels hung on to win the game. How much longer until Frankie Rodriguez is closing for Anaheim?

Today Pedro and Jarrod Washburn under balmy skies in Anaheim. Seems like good weather will agree with Pedro and his one or two relievers that will undoubtedly follow him.

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The Red Sox take their road show to Anaheim to face a different Angels team than the one that started the season.

With Bartolo Colon on the hill tonight the Angels will bring out the new lineup with Raul Mondesi either in centerfield or DH. Can the Angels slug their way past the AL the way they did earlier in the year? Probably not. The biggest question will be which pitchers will step up and dominate in their starts.

As June begins, starting pitching should be clicking. Colon has not been the stopper that the Angels had hoped. Without an exceptional bullpen, this Angel team would be about six games worse than their 30-20 record shows this morning.

So, the question for Anaheim will the pitching standup? They have enough hitting and play good baseball to compete, but the pitching will tell the story of where they finish this season.

Derek Lowe looked awful yesterday again. The A’s lit Bronson Arroyo up last Thursday. The Sox don’t play as well on the road, this one looks like an Anaheim win tonight.

Bob Brenly is probably going to loose his job this week. Even though management likes him, the losing is wearing everyone down. There are many reasons beyond Brenly’s control for the downturn in Arizona. With the Giants pounding the Diamondbacks every game, things don’t look good for Brenly.

The Giants are riding excellent starting pitching and of course the home run bat of Barry Bonds. No reason this shouldn’t continue until they face Randy Johnson, a pitcher they somehow beat.

If the Giants make it through Colorado, winning that series, then they should be in first place within seven days.

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I watched Arthur Rhodes in Seattle
during the 2003 season and he
is no closer. At best he is
a good lefty to pitch after
the 7th inning in a game
“situation strategy” against
one dangerous lefty hitter.

By Amaury Pi-González
Seattle [Read more →]

Memorial Day marks the first big holiday weekend of the 2004 season.

Time to check in as baseball passes the quarter pole.

The Angels are struggling. Closer Troy Percival has lost his groove. In the past, when Percival blew three or four saves in a ten day period as he has done now, it was due to some physical ailment. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Percival as the next Angel to join the wounded in Anaheim.

Anaheim’s Shane Halter has nine errors and a .239 batting average filling in for Troy Glaus at third base. Arizona still needs pitching and can offer third baseman Shea Hillenbrand for Angel Ramon Ortiz. This is one deal that makes sense for both teams and should happen.

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Amaury– You are right about the Western Division and the Giants chances. They are starting to look up. This from one who has written them off a number of times already. However, this is not the same club it was a short time back. When the season opened the team was giving us Perez at shortstop and Snow on first. This was the weakest offensive combination in the majors. Today they are playing Feliz at shortstop and Minor on first. Minor, of course, still has to prove himself. We remember what his efforts produced when he was up before and first base then was his for the taking. He didn’t take it.

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Reality shows on television are
among the highest rated today,
but in Major League Baseball
the National League West
is like Survivor every day.

By Amaury Pi-González
Bay Area [Read more →]

The Boston Red Sox once again are a different team at home than they are on the road.

They hit .290 or so at home and .248 at home. I think this disparity will ultimately cost them the AL East title and perhaps a shot at the playoffs because Oakland and Anaheim will fight them for the wild card all summer.

Curt Schilling is the perfect pitcher to beat the A’s. Schilling throws strikes, and he does it on the first pitch with something on the ball. Once the A’s can’t milk the count they are in trouble.

Tim Hudson got knocked around in his previous start against the Tigers although he got the win. The Tigers hit numerous shots off Hudson and last night the Red Sox knocked him around pretty good too.

This happens periodically to Hudson until he finds his sinker and gets the ball down.

Derek Lowe has gotten hammered recently and should be no mystery for the A’s tonight. The Red Sox bullpen will figure heavily in tonight’s game. Same goes for the A’s. Mark Redman goes about six if everything is looking up. Looking up is what happens when Redman pitches because he is the classic fly ball pitcher.

This one has all the markings of a typical seesaw Fenway Park game with the victor being the team with the last reliever who can get some outs. Keith Foulke versus Arthur Rhodes.

The Angels need a game from Bartolo Colon. It’s hard to say what is up with Colon because he always looks out of shape. With a day off yesterday, the Angels bullpen is rested so if he needs help in the sixth inning, it should be there.

Toronto has Carlos Delgado banged up, never a good sign for the Blue Jays. Pat Hentgen is capable of a decent start, but this one looks like the Angels night.

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Marty; For the past month we have been emphasizing the myriad problems the Giants face, with the bottom line being that this is simply a bad ball club which needs a complete overhaul. Perhaps a case can be made for a more optimistic approach to this season?

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