I know it’s early in the season, but now that I’ve seen the three teams chasing the Athletics in the West, I am having a hard time envisioning any of these three teams beating the A’s over 162 games.

Seattle is treading water, hoping that the injuries don’t pile up. The Angels have the most potential because they will get healthy and have some excellent starting pitching.

Texas is about where I thought they would be, some offense, but not much pitching.

There is a lot more going on in the majors let’s look. [Read more →]

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of watching the highlights of the first two weeks of the season when the players have turtle neck shirts pulled up over the mouths.

Why not open the year in the warm weather cities and those cities with enclosed stadiums?

Home field advantage doesn’t apply when you have to play in 32 degree weather. It hurts both teams. Don’t you think Detroit would like to take their .133 batting average on the road and maybe have a chance of hitting the ball.

Plus, these teams come out of Florida or Arizona and then have to play in freezing temperatures. It just doesn’t make sense to continue this way, I’m sure the fans in the East and Midwest wouldn’t care if their teams spent ten days or so on the road to avoid the snowballs of April.

More action today in the majors, let’s look. [Read more →]

One week certainly doesn’t make a season, but you cannot ignore some of the results this week.

The A’s are outplaying the Angels just as they did the Mariners in their first series.

The Giants are using their bull pen every day and this is not a good sign. SF’s rotation needs to give the pen some rest especially considering the team is 5-0 against their cousins the Padres and the hapless Brewers.

The AL Central has two teams Detroit and Cleveland who will rival Baltimore and Tampa Bay for the worst in the league.

There’s more, click below. [Read more →]

Most teams in baseball get decent starting pitching from their number one thru three starters. What really separates the very good teams from the also rans is the back end of the rotation.

With off days common the first month of the season, most teams go with a four man rotation, not needing a fifth starter until May.

On Friday, the fourth starters were working all over baseball. It’s worth a look to see who did what, because if you have agood one, things are looking up for your team.

Click below and let’s see what happened. [Read more →]

Seattle needed to get out of Oakland with one win and they played like their season depended upon getting the victory, they held on to win 7-6 in eleven innings.

Ken Macha made some managerial moves for the first time in his tenure as A’s skipper.

Some turned out well and others came back to haunt him.

Click below and I’ll tell you what I saw. [Read more →]

The A’s and the Giants both won last night. Seattle has seen what the A’s can do, Jamie Moyer looked completely overmatched against the A’s power.

Barry Zito wasn’t on top of his game, but it was plenty good enough to silence the Mariner bats.

The Giants now get into the back end of their rotation, Damian Moss continued his inconsistent pitching. Tim Worrell is starting to look like his brother Todd and is the number one closer for the Giants until further notice.

Today’s games will be closer. [Read more →]

If the Seattle Mariners thought last night was difficult for its hitters wait until tonight when they face Barry Zito.

Tim Hudson pitched the way he should have in the playoffs last fall as he dominated the Mariners through eight chilly innings.

Erubiel Durazo, lurking unnoticed in the number six spot in the batting order provided all the offense the A’s could muster by driving in all five runs in the 5-0 whitewashing of Seattle.

Meanwhile The Giants continued to pound the Padres and the Red Sox got long relief help from Steve Woodard and Brandon Lyon to squeak out a 9-8 win over,yes, Tampa Bay in 16 innings.

A lot more to talk about, just click below.

[Read more →]

I realized how weird opening day could be when Tuffy Rhodes hit three homers for the Cubs about ten years ago on opening day. Rhodes didn’t hit many more homers in his big league career, in fact he ended up playing in Japan where he still hits them out.

On opening day, everyone thought he would be the next big star in the majors. Not to be.

Monday Corey Patterson, a light hitting outfielder for the Cubs hit two homers and drove in seven runs as the Cubs pasted the Mets 15-2.

I wonder how many homers Patterson will hit this year? Any guesses? Is he another Tuffy Rhodes?

Let’s see what else happened as baseball got back into action. Click below. [Read more →]

Texas showed what could happen when they get effective pitching as they knocked off the Angels Sunday night.

The Angels didn’t do themselves any favors by falling behind and then needing a comeback from the Rally Monkey.

Click below for more on that game and today’s openers [Read more →]

The first pitch of the 2003 season will be thrown Sunday night by John Lackey in Anaheim. Come to think of it, Lackey opened the Angels last game, the pivotal seventh game of the world series last October. Tonight’s opponent on the hill is somewhat familiar to Lackey’s last opposite number, that is the totally forgettable Livan Hernandez. Of course, the Rangers are Sunday’s team and Ismael Valdes, a fourth starter at best draws the opening nod for Buck Showalter’s team.

Lackey versus Valdes, you gotta love the Angels. The Angels will run Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival and the rest of the bull pen out there tonight, sadly for the Rangers they too will trot out their pen as well.

The result: a high scoring game with the Seraphs ultimately the winner in the first game of 2003.

For more opening day insight click “Read More” [Read more →]