The Glade 4.0

It's finally baseball season again!

The Glade has never been too big on baseball, so maybe we could use a general purpose baseball thread for the small stuff during the season that doesn't warrant threads its own.

How are things looking for you guys?

In Philadelphia, there are still some question marks, but I'd probably say the team on paper looks to be a bit better than the team we had at the end of last year. Brad Lidge is, once again, questionable, but his replacement for the first 15 games or so (at least) can't be any worse than Lidge was last year. The lineup is mostly untouched, but slightly improved. All signs point towards Hamels improving from last year too, but this is one of those things you generally should wait and see before counting on it.

All that said, I don't know if any fan in Philadelphia actually feels happy right now. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think we're still not over Lee being in a Seattle uniform. For an extra $9 million or so, we could've kept Lee and still got Halladay. The Phillies were World Series champs in '08 and got back there in '09. Having Halladay and Lee both would've all but guaranteed a 2010 postseason, and likely the best 1-2 punch in that postseason which counts for quite a lot. When you start talking about 3 years in a row, you start talking legacy. Was it worth missing out on that all but guaranteed postseason berth for the $9 million? It helped our farm system a bunch, I suppose, but we're probably going to be losing a lot of our good players in 2 years' time or so. If I'm not mistaken, a lot of people are thinking this may very well end up a missed opportunity for greatness. I am probably one of them.

Ah well. Not having Halladay and Lee is the sort of problems that you'd prefer to have, at least. :p Here's to looking towards the new season! I'm keeping an eye out for your Braves, Khross...

Good idea, we need more baseball threads.

Just listened to the first couple of innings of the Dodgers taking on the Pirates. Was happy to hear the Dodgers had 2-run lead when I tuned in, not so happy to hear a 2-run, 455-foot shot to tie it up in the bottom of the first. Could be a long season.

Really hoping that Kershaw steps up, and Billingsley at least doesn't fall down. He doesn't have to be great, just competent. But I'm beginning to worry about his head. The Dodgers' bullpen does not look to be as strong as last year, which could be a problem if the starters don't come through.

Hitting looks pretty solid - nice to see Blake DeWitt getting the nod at 2nd. We lose a bit of defense in comparison to having Hudson there, however, but he pretty much got booted by the end of last year. As with the Billingsley and the pitching, Russell Martin is going to be kind of key. He's still a great defensive catcher and handles the pitchers well, but we need him to get back to a good batting average, or at least some power. Furcal at SS may be even more key, however. He needs to be a good leadoff hitter for us this year.

Will be curious to see how the Rockies do this year. I don't think the Giants quite have it in them to take the division, or even the wild card, really.

Hey, Noggel, wasn't that you who gets to do the Opening Day ceremony in Cleveland? Or are they not opening at home?

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Greta job today Jason Frasor!

I don't like the Chi-Sox, but what a play on opening day by Mark Buehrle....

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Mark-Buehrle-makes-unbelievable-flip-with-glove-?urn=mlb,232187

Probably up there near the end of the year, for play of the year.....

Diehard baseball fan and sabermetrics geek here. So much so that I am starting an emulator league in which I have invited all members of the Glade who might be interested to be a part of, mostly to get me through the off-season. It's great to hear the crack of the bat again.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

That was Hopwin who has the opening day thing going on in Cleveland! And apparently I should retitle this thread now that I went back to find his... :p

One game into the season, my Cubs fan friend is inconsolable. Zambrano's start was... painful. I don't even really like Zambrano and it was painful.

That play by Buehrle is just sweetness, too.

Well considering it was my Indian's that Buehrle did so well against I might as well chime in. Buehrle was not overpowering, our lineup just looked terrible. They were fanning at the ball. Travis Hafner's swing looks like the tip of his bat is tied to his forehead with a 24" piece of string. Grady Sizemore looks frustrated and confused at the plate. Our rookies look psyched to be there but are over-enthusiatic at the plate.

Westbrook looked godawful so Fausto Carmona better get back into his 2007 shape.

Our bullpen looked good though.

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Ah, that was it - Hop, not Nog. Looks like it will be next week for Hop (Dodgers aren't at home until next week either). I want pics!

At least your Cubs friend has a team with a purported ace. The Dodgers started "My Cousin Vinny" Padilla. Padilla. I mean, I like the guy, and how he pitched for the Dodgers at the end of the season, but he just didn't seem to be opening day material. Kuroda would have been a better choice. I have a theory that Torre didn't want to start Billingsley or Kershaw so as not to put pressure on them, or have to signal to them that one is better than the other.

Yeah, pretty cool play by Buerhle, too. Almost Jeter-like.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

I disagree that Zambrano is an ace. He has been a good pitcher, not a great one over his career. In fact, he's only had one year (2004) that I would describe as great in his 10 year career, and that year he had a WHIP of more than 1.2. He's wild, he can't stay out of trouble, he's a hot head, his stuff isn't overpowering, and he doesn't keep men off the bases.

Given all of that, he's only 29 years old (30 by season's end) and still has the potential to string together a few great years and change my opinion of him, but I don't think it's going to happen. Saddly he's just another example of Dusty Baker's inability to manage and develop young and talented pitchers. Zambrano is just another arm tossed on the pile of "what could have been" with Prior and Wood.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

Ah, OK, I know him mainly by reputation. Notice that I did say "purported" ace. Most teams at least have one (supposed or real), we don't, at least not yet.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Thread title changed to avoid thread title conflict!

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Injured pitching sucks. Terrified at the idea of Lidge coming back and closing games for us, though I'm hoping he can surprise me. It was a minor miracle we made it through 2009's regular season with so many blown saves. I don't think we can do it again, especially with a much improved Atlanta!

Prediction: Jayson Werth will not see this year through for the Phillies, and he will be traded for a starting pitcher.

At least we have Halladay to look forward to every 5th game.

Jason Heyward for the Braves is living up to the hype and I wouldn't be surprised to see Roy Halladay win 25 games this year. The NL East should be very close this year.

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"It is true that democracy undermines freedom when voters believe they can live off of others' productivity, when they modify the commandment: 'Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.' The politics of plunder is no doubt destructive of both morality and the division of labor."

And now Z is in the pen.. I think its a great (albeit expensive) move.

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Hokanu
Duty is a magnificent blessing because it is the sign of trust from the universe.
END OF LINE.

Ugh. All road-trips that feature East Coast vs. West Coast teams should be afternoon games. If MLB will give me this then I will concede that all West->East Coast road trips should be evening games.

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Hah, don't feel like staying up until 1 in the morning to see the end of the Yanks v. the Angels? They couldn't pull off that many afternoon games - some of us work for a living, ya know?!

And, yeah, I don't quite get the Zambrano move.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge