Baseball In The Daytime: 8-6-08

I find myself in the very rare position of having a little spare time this morning, so why not jump in to the matinee schedule? I must thank Banky and Anachro Capitalist for covering the baseball beat admirably lately. The wheels of commerce sometimes grind me to dust.

When last I checked in, I was deep in the throes of despair concerning the Manny Ramirez trade. Concerns about my well being were aired. Rest assured that all is well, I've ruminated and meditated and decided that things will be just fine. I still think the trade was a bad one for Boston, but Bay can play and I must admit--it's pretty fun to see Manny taking his freak show to a new team. Enjoy it, Dodger fans, if you're not too busy sniffing paint and stabbing someone with a screwdriver.

So let's take a tour around the landscape of Major League Baseball this fine Wednesday afternoon. And if you happen to be at Kauffman Stadium tonight for the Royals-Red Sox game, say hello to Banky. He'll be the one in the Jose Rosado jersey holding up the Alex Gordon EXPRESS! sign.

Milwaukee @ Cincinnati, 10:35 Mountain Things are most certainly not boring for the Brewers these days. They pulled off what you could argue was the season's most impactful trade when they obtained C.C. Sabathia last month. They put the fear of Satan into the Cubs and their fans by pulling close in the Central, then got swept in a four-game home set against Chicago. And this week Prince Fielder tried to deck his own pitcher. Good times! Today the Brewers send Jeff Suppan out against Homer Bailey at Great American, where the sausage is hot and juicy.

Cleveland @ Tampa, 10:40 It's another day in first for the Bay-Rays, whose magic number to win the AL East is 47. A win today would leave them two victories shy of their all-time greatest season. You remember it, right? The 70-91 mark Tampa posted in 2004? Man, that was some year. I recall it as if it were only four years ago. 24-year old ace lefty Scott Kazmir plants the Bay-Ray battle flag upon the Trop's mound today opposite Jeremy Sowers.

Houston @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 What exactly is an Astro? Should this team not be called the Astronauts? One day after the 78th birthday of Neil Armstrong, Brandon Backe takes one small step for pitcherkind by hurling at the mean and nasty Friendly Confines. Jason Marquis, used to having his name in lights, gets the nod for the Cubbies. If anyone got that last joke I'm sorry. It was horrible.

Baltimore @ Los Anaheim, 1:35 The fake rocks and fake tans of Angels Stadium play host to this interdivisional showdown today. Visiting Orange County are the hapless Orioles, who although mired in last managed to shut out baseball's finest club on Tuesday night. The Angels, who are on cruise control until their inevitable playoff appearance and World Series title, could give a shit. I'm pretty sure they'll start a team of one-legged midgets today behind Ervin Santana, just because. Garrett Olson gets the ball for the O's.

Pittsburgh @ Arizona, 1:40 Yet another first-place club is in action this afternoon, and that club is the Arizona Diamondbacks. If you manage to skip out on work and make it to the erstwhile Bank One Ballpark, you'll witness a fossil of baseball's Mesozoic Era. That's right, The Unit is on the bump, slinging homeward in an effort to tally his 294th career win. Go get 'em, big guy! Jeff Karstens will attempt to thwart this noble cause, in ways only Jeff Karstens can.

Atlanta @ San Francisco, 1:45 Speaking of relics from the past, check out this weird and fascinating fact. Mike Hampton won a baseball game last night. Mike Hampton! Next thing you'll tell me Cito Gaston is managing the Blue Jays. Trying to follow the example of his oft-damaged rotationmate Hampton, the Braves' Chuck James will start today at Some Phone Company Yard against Tim Lincecum. If you've never seen Lincecum pitch, make a date sometime. He's a little tyke who brings some seriously filthy violence.

Minnesota @ Seattle, 2:40 The final game on today's slate is this Twins-Mariners appearance. At one point these two clubs played in domes, but the M's moved outside (well, sort of) in 1999. Next year the Twins join the new-park club with an open-air yard of their own, a yet-to-be-named facility in Minneapolis' downtown Warehouse District. But that's enough architecture news, who's pitching today? Nick Blackburn and Jarrod Washburn? Let us resume our discussion of architecture, and Play Ball!