Record Breakers

My boys are back. I'm not even about to front; Red Sox started off this season pretty mediocre. They were 4-4 after the first eight games of the season, but when have the Red Sox ever started off the season in spectacular fashion in recent memories? They pushed out four straight homers (by Ramirez, Drew, Lowell, and Varitek, respectively) in the third inning, tying a ML record, to complete a series sweep of the Yankees @ Fenway. The Red Sox sweeping the Yankees at Fenway? That hadn't happened in almost 20 years. Lord, what I would've given to have been there. From what I've been hearing and seeing, the pitching in the series (on the side of the BoSox) wasn't anything to write home about. I didn't get to watch the series (I know, what a shock), but I know for a fact they were down in this game when Lowell stepped to the plate in the third inning, and they only won the series but a few runs, 7-6 Friday, 7-5 Saturday, capped off with a 7-6 victory today. But guess what? A win's a win's a win. I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em. I like how I'm using first-person like I'm actually on the team, ha ha.

**Barry Bonds hit a homer today and yesterday to come within 15 shy of Hammerin' Hank's record of 755. I'm not a huge Bonds fan, but I'd like to see the record broken.

Um...I'm really tired and it's way past my bedtime, but I'll definitely write another one of these things tomorrow...or later today.

I promise, I promise, I PROMISE I'll be back with a great post as soon as I get this schoolwork out the way!

Jackie Robinson Day

April 15, 1947. Do I even need to say anymore? That was the day Major League Baseball changed forever, the day that Jack Roosevelt Robinson took the field as a rookie for the then Brooklyn Dodgers. And guess what? I'll finish this later because I'm tired.

Sorry

In due time, in due time! I promise I'll have an entry by Sunday afternoon, whenever I get my schoolwork done, or whichever comes first, lol.

The Real Barry Zito Needs To Stand Up

6 innings pitched, 9 hits, 8 runs (all EARNED), 3 walks, 4 k's, 1 hr given up, an ERA of 8.18. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, was the line score for Barry Zito against the Dodgers yesterday. The Dodgers and Giants. That's like the West Coast's version of Yankees/Red Sox. For lack of a better word right now, I'm just appalled. He has yet to earn a win with that other Bay Area team. I'm trying my hardest to give Zito the benefit of the doubt, though. Okay, this is the first time in his career he's playing for a new team, this is his first time playing in the National League, whatever, blah blah blah. NO. Although I understand AL pitching is different from that in the NL, I honestly don't think it's that different. I mean, if you're a good, thorough player, you should be able to carry your weight in both leagues. Look what Roger Clemens did. But no need to push the panic button yet, folks. I have a feeling Zito and the G-Men will bounce back in no time. On a completely unrelated note, I am straight beasting the competition in MLB.com's 2007 open. And I'm not even talking about just in my division....I'm talking about the entire league! So, if anyone gets a chance to sign up for the game, just take a look @ Wowzer (my group's name).

I really don't know what's up with the Red Sox. Yeah, they have a pretty good lineup and pitching staff on paper, but whether or not they're producing on the diamond should be of a bigger concern...and they're NOT. So individually the players are doing okay (JD Drew has 9 hits in like, 23 at-bats, Dice K delivered phenomenal stuff, etc.), but they're only 3-3. They lost the opening season game against the lowly Royals (yes, the same Royals who pretty much had the worst record last season), and nearly got swept by the Rangers last night. Get it together, boys. Get it together.

What's really good with this damn snow in Cleveland? With the way the weather's been in North Carolina, you'd think it was late May, early June or something. It's sort of chilly out today though, but I digress. Okay, so from my understanding the Indians' home-opener was snowed out Friday. It was to be played in a doubleheader with another game on Saturday, which was also snowed out. Then those games were to be played Sunday, but that was also snowed out. I can do you one better, though. The games scheduled for tonight @ the Jake have been what? You guessed it: SNOWED OUT. Gimme a break, weather. I mean, seriously. And Grady Sizemore was on an offensive roll, with his cute self.

Roll The Dice-K Already

American food. Japanese food. Completely different, right? Well, how different is American baseball from Japanese baseball? Apparently not at all to Daisuke Matsuzaka (dubbed "Dice-K" by the media and Fenway Faithful) who proved successful for the Red Sox, beating the Kansas City Royals 6-1 with 108 pitches, 74 of those for strikes. Let me repeat that: 74 of those for strikes! His start was even televised in Japan, with viewers waking up at 3am just to get a glimpse of their fellow countryman. I have one thing to say, and one thing only: he'd better live up to that $52 million price tag the BoSox put on his head.

The REAL Opening Day (To Me)

Opening Day's Lone Game
So it was deja vu all over again, the scene ever so reminiscent of last October's NLCS. Sunday's game wasn't so bad. Actually, it was a pretty good game for Opening Day/Night. But then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from Sunday Night Baseball. Redemption proved to be sweet for the Mets, who topped the Cards 6-1. Tom Glavine was nothing short of outstanding, and didn't even let Adam Kennedy's 3rd inning triple rattle his cage. Chris Carpenter looked alright, though his location was a bit off. Carpenter will have time to ponder his mistakes, as he will miss his next scheduled start with elbow inflammation.

Now, On To The Good Stuff...
The Red Sox lost on Opening Day, for about the third or fourth year in a row, to Gil Meche and the Royals. The Red Sox seem to always lose on Opening Day; that's really nothing new. Curt Schilling didn't even last 5 innings,which was quite surprising.

Zito, Oh Zito: IN 5 innings, Barry Zito gave up 4 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and struck out and walked 2. Not as great as one who've thought for a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher, but it wasn't all his fault: His Giants gave him no defense or offense whatsoever. Only two runners got past 2nd base. But, as Giants 1st baseman Rich Aurilla put it, "Nice day, though."

Damn Yanks: Well, rumor has it I'm not a Yankees fan. In fact, I hate them what a passion. They did do something the BoSox failed to though...win. Yanks beat the Devil Rays 9-5, with Alex Rodriguez providing the go-ahead runs with his 465th career homer. Now you can say all you want about the Devil Rays, but they're a feisty little team, ha ha.

**Nothing else even matters at this point, and I'm extremely tired. I'll do better next time, promise!

Opening Day

So as I type this, there are seven hours, fifty-eight minutes, and thirty-one seconds until the official start of Opening Day. Can it really be called Opening Day though, since the kickoff game between the NY Mets and St. Louis Cardinals does not begin until 8 o'clock tonight? But, I digress. I have waited seven long, hard, dull, and boring months for this. I have suffered through the Red Sox failing to make the play-offs after a 2005 postseason that wasn't all that spectacular either. I have suffered through my beloved Tar Heels losing to Georgetown in the Elite Eight, our dreams of a Final Four berth crushed in those five excruciating overtime minutes. I watched Peyton Manning blow past the Pats on his way to an ever-so-elusive Super Bowl ring and MVP. I have suffered through economics exams, math lectures, and guest speakers on journalism. I have suffered through the most mediocre dining hall food ever, but guess what? All of that is null and void now, for the 2007 Major League Baseball season is here.

Things to Look For: When the ump signals for 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter to throw out the first pitch, don't expect everything to be handed to him. Emotions from last year's NLCS will still be running rampant, and both teams are going to give everything they have to win; the Cards will be trying to defend their World Series reign and the Mets will be trying to de-throne them, if only for a night. This is the only game on Opening Day, so I think a lot of viewers will be tuned in to ESPN2 when it airs. Ha, I know I will.