My opening day roster
Jason Kendall
Ivan Rodriguez*
David Ortiz*
Tadahito Iguchi
David Wright*
Orlando Cabrera
Alex Rios*
Ken Griffey Jr
Shawn Green
Vernon Wells*
Scott Podsednik
Eric Hinske
Reed Johnson*
Cole Hamels*
Bronson Arroyo*
Trevor Hoffman
Anibal Sanchez*
Zach Duke
John Maine
Dennys Reyes
Jamie Moyer
Cla Meredith
Dontrelle Willis
Tim Wakefield*
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Ump Update
Ria Cortesio has gotten another assignment that signals her progress to the Show is still happening, though at a glacial pace.
Last year she worked the Futures Game, the minor league hot prospects' showcase attached to the All-Star hoopla. This spring she's working a major league exhibition game, another step in moving up. Not all umpires who work MLB exhibition games end up umpiring in the majors, but it is a usual "tryout" step umpires go through. Although umpires, like players, have to work their way up through the levels, they're not subject to sudden call-ups from the lower levels of the game; there are no Nuke Lalooshes among umpires.
When Ria gets promoted to AAA, it will probably be with the Pacific Coast League. Not because there will likely be an opening there first, nor because that league is less conservative, (Pam Postema spent her years umpiring AAA in the PCL), but because I won't have a chance to see her work.
Here's hoping it happens this year. Ria deserves a hot tub of her own.
Last year she worked the Futures Game, the minor league hot prospects' showcase attached to the All-Star hoopla. This spring she's working a major league exhibition game, another step in moving up. Not all umpires who work MLB exhibition games end up umpiring in the majors, but it is a usual "tryout" step umpires go through. Although umpires, like players, have to work their way up through the levels, they're not subject to sudden call-ups from the lower levels of the game; there are no Nuke Lalooshes among umpires.When Ria gets promoted to AAA, it will probably be with the Pacific Coast League. Not because there will likely be an opening there first, nor because that league is less conservative, (Pam Postema spent her years umpiring AAA in the PCL), but because I won't have a chance to see her work.
Here's hoping it happens this year. Ria deserves a hot tub of her own.
Friday, March 23, 2007
2-fer Day
Today was Draft Day. Had a good draft, seemed most people were around, at least for part of the draft, though some had technical glitches. Somebody had Starbucks and didn't bring enough for everyone.
Have to let the dust settle before I prune my roster, took only one of my four keepers during the draft, David Wright as my final pick. And to make sure keepers didn't go astray for others; we think nobody's keepers got drafted elsewhere, but we know absolutely last year's catastrophe wasn't repeated.
The second part which came first was I ordered my tickets for the season this morning! The B-Mets spend a lot of the early part of the season at home on weekends, parkas at the park, and are on the road more weekends in June and July, but at least they finish at home. I love spending Labor Day at the ballpark.
And one other good baseball thing happened today. As I drove past the new baseball diamond on my way in to work this morning, I could see the snow has mostly melted and the grass is visible. Now it just needs to dry out.
Have to let the dust settle before I prune my roster, took only one of my four keepers during the draft, David Wright as my final pick. And to make sure keepers didn't go astray for others; we think nobody's keepers got drafted elsewhere, but we know absolutely last year's catastrophe wasn't repeated.
The second part which came first was I ordered my tickets for the season this morning! The B-Mets spend a lot of the early part of the season at home on weekends, parkas at the park, and are on the road more weekends in June and July, but at least they finish at home. I love spending Labor Day at the ballpark.
And one other good baseball thing happened today. As I drove past the new baseball diamond on my way in to work this morning, I could see the snow has mostly melted and the grass is visible. Now it just needs to dry out.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A month too soon
My friend Craig posted a blog of his trip through blues country, which was darn close to heaven on earth for him, but each time he listed his next stop, I could only think of what team was nearest and how a month later he could have gone to a minor league game there.
He's resisted so far, mostly out of circumstance, but partly out of sheer cussedness, going to a ball game, but some day I will drag him, kicking and screaming, to a minor league game. Not in Syracuse, unless they oust the Simones, the dinosaur BofDs, and demolish P&B/Alliance Stadium. Once there, I know his Eastern leanings will make/allow him to become one with the game. If only one of the local teams would hold a B.B. King night.....
He's resisted so far, mostly out of circumstance, but partly out of sheer cussedness, going to a ball game, but some day I will drag him, kicking and screaming, to a minor league game. Not in Syracuse, unless they oust the Simones, the dinosaur BofDs, and demolish P&B/Alliance Stadium. Once there, I know his Eastern leanings will make/allow him to become one with the game. If only one of the local teams would hold a B.B. King night.....
Keepers Set
I didn't go with another "D" guy for the Dukes, I took the "W" route, Vernon Wells. He's a decent outfielder, and I actually saw him play when he was in AAA. If the guys in the league paid attention, they'd know I'm pretty much a sucker for guys I've seen play in the minors, so they could trade me a broken down wreck for a premier player if the wreck once played in Binghamton or Syracuse, or even Rochester.
I pre-ranked my queue, which sounds a touch dirty, but it amounts to tossing a big bunch of names into a box on the screen, hoping that I actually might get one or two in the draft. By the later rounds, we're at the "is he still breathing?" level of ability in our draftees.
I pre-ranked my queue, which sounds a touch dirty, but it amounts to tossing a big bunch of names into a box on the screen, hoping that I actually might get one or two in the draft. By the later rounds, we're at the "is he still breathing?" level of ability in our draftees.
Monday, March 05, 2007
The End - Begin Again
I finally finished the first draft of my baseball novel, last night at 11:30. I would have done a Happy Diva Dance, but I was too tired and my legs hurt from sitting at the computer for hours at a time several days in a row for several weeks in a row.
I'm happy that it's done. Now maybe I can do something anything else with my weekends. At least for a week or two. Then I'll need to get started on the revisions of which there will be many.
I'm happy that it's done. Now maybe I can do something anything else with my weekends. At least for a week or two. Then I'll need to get started on the revisions of which there will be many.
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