Baseball In The Daytime: 6-9-08

The word for today is reacharound, kids, and I implore you to use it often. The reacharound is a pleasant feeling you get when your weekend series can't quite wrap it up by Sunday and it has to sneak over to Monday afternoon to get 'er done. The term has no other uses, nope, never.

So have a seat, and let the gentle fingers of Baseball In The Daytime caress your fanhood until you're a happy customer...

Arizona @ Pittsburgh, 10:35 Mountain Our first reacharound occurs at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, at beautiful PNC Park. It features your still first-place D'Bags and the scrappy Pirates. How scrappy, you ask? Well, they're nine and a half out and in fifth place. Sounds like the same old Pirates, you say. But hold on there, Mr. Cynical. The Bucs actually hold the same record as the Dodgers, who reside in second in their division, and are within a half game of the Mets, who have the second-highest payroll in the sport. So yes, they're scrappy. Your reacharound starters are The Big Unit and The Duke, which is fitting.

Kansas City @ NY Yankees, 11:05 Nowhere is the reacharound tradition more legendary than at venerable Yankee Stadium, site of today's contest between the Bombers and the Royals. Although the Yanks are gunning for the series win in this four-game set, it is the boys in occasional powder blue who could easily be setting up for a sweep. If they could pitch better, that is, and I suppose being able to pitch would be a prerequisite for sweeping a major league baseball team. Joakim Soria blew a ninth-inning lead on Saturday, while Zach Greinke could not hold a one-run edge in yesterday's contest. Today Luke Hochevar will be given the ball to start, but the score will be 0-0. Keep it together, kid. Mike Mussina drags his Archie Bunker hide to the mound as well.

Minnesota @ Chicago White Sox, 12:05 Getting some reacharound is a pleasant surprise, and these Pale Hose are one of the biggest surprises in baseball. Chicago holds a five and a half game lead over these Twins after taking the first three games of the series. That represents the biggest divisional lead in the game. When reached (around) for comment, manager Ozzie Smith Guillen said "Fuck you, fag." Fair enough, Oz. The skip sends John Danks, bro, into battle against Glenn Perkins, a rare instance when two starters whose names both end in "S" face one another. Reach around gently, boys, and Play Ball!