Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks

Well, we're almost a month into the '07 Major League Baseball Season and I thought I'd weigh in on some of the things I have noticed, been angered by or developed an opinion about. I haven't been so siked for a baseball season since 1997. There are two teams in the area, the best ballpark 30 minutes north in Baltimore, the next great ballpark just 35 minutes west and the Yankees stink! Woo-hoo! I am as happy as a little girl! Read on at your own risk!






1. Although the Nats are 8-15, they will not be historically bad this year. Shaun Hill has been unexpectedly good; Ryan Zimmerman is the next great third baseman; Dimitri Young has filled in nicely for the injured Nick Johnson; Ronnie Belliard...where did he come from? The young pitching staff is very green, but they aren't terrible. John Patterson has yet to get his fastball into the 90's, but the Nats are letting Patterson work himself back into shape after fore arm surgery at the end of last year. He'll get there. I love how Manny Acta keeps the team loose and upbeat even thought everyone says they will be terrible. Acta is one cool dude.Go Nats!



2. Although some of you may believe I hate the Orioles, I actually have been watching and rooting for the Birds. They are a little inconsistent, but their pitching seems headed in the right direction. Erik Bedard is the real deal, if only Daniel Cabrera could put it together. The team seems more united now that at any time in recent memory. Angelos should still sell the team, but I might actually head up to Ball-mer and catch a game at the Yard, hun! As Brooks used to say, "Go O-wee-Ooos!"






3. Mark Prior was finally diagnosed with something that explains his deterioration since the 2003 playoffs. A torn labrum that was missed for the past 4 years! Fire the Cubs' doctor! Prior is expected to recover from his surgery and be ready to pitch for the 2008 season. He's a free agent after this year. The Nationals should sign him to help open the new stadium next spring. I'd take a questionable Mark Prior over anyone on this years staff, except Shaun Hill.






4. Sammy Sosa is at it again! He's belting homers in Texas and is only 5 dingers from reaching the 600 homerun mark. This might actually help his image and hurt Barry Bonds. Does Sammy look smaller to you?





5. There were reports last Thursday that Curt Schillings bloody sock--the one he wore in the 2004 World Series that we all remember as he pitched the game of his life--was not really bloody after all. A rumor floated out last week that it was paint on the sock, not hemoglobin, which sent Schilling into a tizzy. Orioles announcer Gary Thorne heard someone in the Red Sox locker room talking about the sock before a game and Thorne thought he heard the blood on the sock wasn't real. Thorne went public with what he thought he heard. He has since changed his tune and says he misunderstood what he overheard in the locker room. Good job Gary. Way to get a second source before blurting that one out. At least you are a much better announcer than Michael Reghi!




6. Speaking of Michael Reghi (the former Orioles play-by-play man, he of the bad homerun call and terrible hairpiece) I looked up his bio on Wikipedia so I wouldn't spell his name wrong and I discovered that he was born in, and I quote, "1956 or 1957." Huh? Maybe he doesn't know when he was born. He certainly didn't know how to call a baseball game. "Homerun Jack!" That guy was awful. My dog Harley could call a better game than that doorknob, and she's dumb as a rock and can't talk. Actually, it is an insult to my dog to put her in the same sentence as that tool.







7. Here's hoping that the Justice Department finds evidence of Barry Bonds using steroids, or let's pray Barry's head explodes, or perhaps maybe he could break his leg and have to retire before he hits the homerun that puts him in first place on the all time list ahead of Hank Aaron. I can't believe we have come this far, folks. I hate Barry Bonds. Did I ever say that?





8. How about them Yankees?! Their pitching staff is in tatters, their manager is on the hotseat-- unfairly I might add-- and the Bronx Bombers are in last place in the American League East. They're 2 games behind the Devil Rays, for pete's sake! The Yanks have the third worst record in baseball. The Nats have the same number of wins as the Yanks do, and they were supposed to be terrible! Steinbrenner must be having a cow. Joe Torre, it was a great run. Unless you can pitch, I think your days in New York are done. Which is actually not a bad things. By the way, how is A-Rod doing?





9. As for A-Rod, let me say this once and for all: I don't care how many home runs you hit(14) or how many runs you drive in(34) or how high your batting average is(.360) or if your slugging % is .921 or if you have 4 game-winning hits in the first 25 days of the season. That shit doesn't matter if your team stinks. Sure those stats are nice and now they are the best April numbers ever and stats are stats, no matter what month of the regular season they may come in. But remember... it may count in April, but it only really matters in October. When A-Rod goes O-fer another October, who is going to remember A-Rod's torrid April start? That's if the Yankees even get that far.



Rack Him! Peace out!


All photos courtesy of yahoo.sports