There is something about a Yankee Angel game that is unlike others that the New Yorkers play.

The Angels play the Yankees with alot of confidence, knowing that if they stay close somehow they hit enough to beat the Yankees in the late innings. I saw it last year when Scott Spiezio hit a extra inning homer to win a game after Troy Percival let it get away in the ninth inning before over 40,000 in the Bronx.

The Angels exposed the Yankee staff in the last year’s ALDS and have the upper hand now in 2003.

Aaron Sele who pitched quite well in his last start, but who rarely beats NY in the Bronx, goes today against Jeff Weaver.

At some point NY has to be concerned about the fact that the A’s, Angels, and Mariners can beat the heck out of George’s boys on a regular basis.

I’m on record now saying that the Red Sox will give the Yankees a run for their money this season in the AL East, too.

Ken Griffey Jr is back in the Reds lineup. Other good news for this team that is scoring some serious runs, is Danny Graves finally looks like his arm strength is sufficient to get him past the middle innings. Graves threw 117 pitches and nine shut out innings against the Cards Wednesday to open my eyes.

Click below for the rest of the Dish. [Read more →]

The Detroit Tigers don’t have much going for them this season other than some promising young pitching.

What they do have is a friendly groundskeeper at Comerica Park who has tailored the infield to help their sinker ball pitchers.

Not since the days of Candlestick Park in the early 60’s, when the Giants watered the basepaths to stop speedster Maury Wills, have I seen an infield that has been designed to stop the opposition offense like they are trying to do in Detroit.

First, the ground around home plate is so soft that any ground ball which strikes the area six feet or less in front of home plate immediately is slowed by the loose soft dirt.

Then the fun begins. The grass in the infield is so high that any grounder turns into an adventure for the fielder attempting to make the play. By the time the fielder is in position to stop the ground ball, the ball has virtually come to a halt in front of his outstretched glove. Each play is now made on the run in bang bang fashion on the throw to first.

The A’s worked two walks from Mike Maroth in the fateful seventh, then with two out Miguel Tejada scorched a Steve Sparks knuckleball over the head of Detroit’s stunned left fielder clearing the bases and giving the A’s a 3-1 lead they never relinquished.

Until that point both teams consistently pounded the ball onto the infield dirt leading to a 1-1 score heading into the seventh frame.

Wednesday night Tim Hudson, a sinker baller with a ground ball to fly ball out ratio thisd season of 109:45 goes for Oakland. This park is tailor made for Hudson who will be digging worms with his diving sinker all night.

The Tigers throw Gary Knotts, a finesse ground ball pitcher, his ratio is 50:34 ground ball outs to fly ball outs, so much of the same may be expected.

More to say click below! [Read more →]

I was looking at the standings in the NL West the other day and saw something that caught my attention.

Anyone feel that the dodgers are out of the race in that division? Didn’t think so.

So, if LA can catch the Giants take a look at Arizona, a team that trails LA by only 2 1/2 games. Puts the Diamondbacks in a better light even though they are 8 1/2 behind SF.

Point is this, figure out which teams wouldn’t surprise you if they won a particular division and then look at the teams closest to that team.

Can the Phillies win in the NL East? Absolutely, well, don’t overlook the Mets, they trail the Phillies by 5. Hardly, overwhelming in May.

Can Anaheim win the AL West? It’s not out of the realm of possibility, well, the Rangers are only three starters and 1 1/2 games behind the Halos.

Key is to get to .500 and then see what can happen. Summer trades, hot players, injuries to leaders, they all will be a part of the story of the 2003 season.

Today’s games tell a new story, click below!

[Read more →]

Giants return to Pac Bell

to open a seven-game

homestand against the

Expos and Mets.

Felipe’s ex team playing

with confidence while

Art Howe’s Mets team

playing …like last year !

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Baseball is a funny game, but apparently horse racing is too.

Let’s see if I have this straight. It’s OK to hit a horse with a whip while flying down the home stretch, but not OK to shock the horse with a hand held buzzer?

Just checking?

Torii Hunter cost his team the game Saturday night in Minnesota with one of those throws that cause mangers to say why.

Manny Ramirez was on third, Jeremy Giambi (.159) hit a short fly to center with less than two out, Ramirez wasn’t going to be able to score on the play, Hunter threw a rocket to the plate, it one hopped the catcher and squirted away, in the Twins effort to corral the throw they inadvertently left home plate uncovered. Ramirez seeing this, took off for home and scored the decisive run in the game.

The Red Sox will get help in the pen as Robert Person, a pitcher I’ve thought has good stuff, will be activated any minute. Much travelled lefty Bruce Chen is also in the Boston picture after they signed him this week.

Click Read more because there is more! [Read more →]

Marty’s evaluation of the A’s and Yankees, with his conclusion that the A’s are the better club right now and the likely winner if they meet in the postgame season gives rise to some thoughts respecting not only the A’s but
the Giants as well.

Since the start of the season I have been comparing the Giants with the Yankees, being provoked by the fact that each was running away with their division. The comparison was not an evaluation of the two teams on a man by man basis. It simply assumed that the Yankees were the best team in the American League, that the Giants continued to maintain virtually identical won-lost record as the Yankees, altho the Giants appeared to have significant weaknesses.

The point of the comparison was to question what the Giants had, in addition to the obvious, that enabled them to continue to win at the same rate as the Yankees.

Click Below for Ed’s analysis. Is a Bay Area World Series a possibility? Ed looks at that also.

Marty Lurie [Read more →]

With Friday night’s game fresh in my mind, let me tell you some thoughts about how the Yankees and the A’s matched up in Oakland’s 7-2 win.

First, Tim Hudson dominated the Yankee hitters just as effectively as he did last Saturday in NY. Other than a walk to Nick Johnson, who has a great eye at the plate, followed by a high pitch to Jason Giambi that he hit out in left, the A’s righty was flawless.

Eric Byrnes continues to ignite a lethargic A’s offense. Say what you want about Byrnes’ lack of ability to hit off speed stuff, when he gets his pitch he doesn’t miss it very often. Friday night he tripled to right center, not easy to do in this park, driving in the first run, then scored the second run on a following ground out to tie the game 2-2.

Click read more and I’ll tell you how the A’s won the game and Joe Torre fell asleep at the switch. [Read more →]

The Yankees broke loose from their mini hitting woes in Seattle Thursday night beating the Mariners senseless 16-3.

After losing two of three to the A’s last weekend in NY, the Bombers now come to the Bay Area to see if they can hit Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder.

In NY, the first two simply pitched as well as they could shutting the Yankee bats down.

For the A’s to duplicate the series victory this weekend, they will need seven plus innings from the big three, continue to play flawless defense against NY, and hit in the clutch. The Yankees make the A’s hit the ball, no steady stream of free passes for the walk conscious Athletics, so offense is at a premium for the A’s.

Meaning, hitting behind the runner, scratching for runs early in the game, taking an extra base, maybe a hit and run if they have the chance, and using the dreaded sacrifice bunt late in the game.

Sounds like one heckuva weekend. Jeff Weaver and Roger Clemens, two pitchers the A’s seem to find a way to beat against Tim “sinker ball” Hudson and Cy Young winner Barry Zito, open the series on Friday and Saturday.

Click Read More for more!

[Read more →]

Bruce Magowan’s article makes great reading but leaves one with a reinforced feeling that figuring out why the Giants are where they are in the standings and where they are going to end up this year is a peculiarly difficult task.

Ed responds to Bruce’s article with questions of his own. Could it be that the Giants are a veteran team playing excellent baseball right now with all 25 men on the roster contributing? Will it last all summer?
Click “Read more” and Ed gives you his analysis.

Thanks,
Marty Lurie [Read more →]

It’s amazing to me that the Giants are not only playing great baseball, but that they are a better team than they were a year ago.

Think about it for a moment: Dusty Baker is pretty much shown the door, David Bell and Jeff Kent both decide to move on, Reggie Sanders and Kenny Lofton are not resigned,

Russ Ortiz is traded, and Robb Nen is out for the year. Those are seven key components to last year’s near World Series title winner.

Yet the replacements have for the most part, exceeded what their predocessors did.

Click Read More and I’ll explain what has happened with the Giants.

Article submitted by Bruce Magowan, in my opinion one of the most astute baseball observers in the Bay Area. Bruce’s love for the game of baseball is exceeded by few in baseball.
Thanks,
Marty Lurie [Read more →]