Baseball In The Daytime: 12 August 2009

Five games dot our landscape of day baseball this morning and afternoon, and we have teams representing five of the United States and one Canadian province. Break out your atlas and a rosin bag and get ready to head round the world of baseball...

Toronto @ NY Yankees, 11:05 Mountain The Yanks keep bulldozing toward a seemingly inevitable AL East crown, which will buy Joe Girardi at least two weeks of job security. Lose in the first round again, though, and Joe might be toast. A.J. Burnett, today's starter against his former BJ's teammates, holds a major key to the Bombers' postseason puzzle. If he can be an effective No. 2 behind Commander Cheeseburger, start planning a tickertape parade down Broadway. If he acts like A.J. Burnett, though, and the load falls to Joba and Pettite, Girardi may want to hold off on buying Manhattan real estate. Ricky Romero hurls for the visitors.

Oakland @ Baltimore, 11:35 It's very possible that these two clubs will sport two of the finest young staffs in the majors next year. Of course, a big reason for that is because they have zero veterans and they're playing kids that would be normally be in the minors. Oakland's Vin Mazzaro looks like a future ace, but he gets lit up a lot because he's 22. Oriole Jason Berken, a relative graybeard at 25, is not among Baltimore's elite prospects like Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and David Hernandez, but he still shows big-league potential.

Tampa @ Los Anaheim, 1:35 After their deadline deal to trade their old "Devil" name to the Yankees fell through, the Bay-Rays were able to get the moniker through waivers this week. It's possible that the Angels, in need of some thump for the stretch drive, might deal Tampa a lefty reliever and a player to be named later, because the Los Anaheim Devil-Angels of Costa Mesa is a fucking sweet tag. On the field, these two gangs take up hostilities again this afternoon, after the Halos swept the first two games of this series. Jeff Niemann tries to salvage one for the Bay-Rays, while Trevor Bell becomes the 100th pitcher to start a game for the Angels this season.

NY Mets @ Arizona, 1:40 In an air-conditioned box in downtown Phoenix, two lousy baseball teams will play a baseball game that means absolutely nothing. If no one attends and they forget to turn on the cameras, will it actually happen? Of course it will, there are fantasy implications. Oliver Perez and Jon Garland take the balls from their respective catchers, and if you're counting on either Oliver Perez or Jon Garland for your fantasy baseball hopes today, I'd suggest some strong liquor.

LA Dodgers @ San Francisco, 1:45 The Giants rolled into this series after beating up on some damn good teams, including taking a series from the defending champion Phillies. They'd closed to within four and a half of the Dodgers, who'd lost 10 of 15 and have No. 1 starter Chad Billingsley gimpy and missing today's start.

So what happens? The Dodgers simply fuck the Giants up in the first two games of the series and stand to sweep today. San Fran has very nice pitching, but even with Fat Ichiro and new additions Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez their lineup is really, really weak. At least reigning Cy Younger Tim Lincecum starts today, against Weaver. Which Weaver, you ask? Both brothers play in SoCal, they have similar haircuts, and both of their first names start with J. So which one? The bad one. Oh, you mean Jeff. Try to throw strikes, my brother, and Play Ball!
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Deadline Deliberations Deliver Delicious Drama, And Pizza

The non-waiver trading deadline in Major League Baseball passed a couple hours ago, and in contrast to recent years this one actually had some spice. If I have one request of you, the educated House of Georges baseball fan, it's this: be aware that trades will still get made for the next month. Don't be that guy, the one that wonders aloud in a week why the Cubs acquired some dumpy reliever from the Padres. We've been over this.

There was also some news that popped out yesterday, news about a couple of fringe utility guys that may or may not have played for my favorite ballclub, allegedly testing positive in a fake survey test back when steroids were totally legal. I have no idea about any of this, I don't really follow baseball very closely.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE RED SOX? Glad you asked, this team doesn't get nearly the attention lavished upon such large-market juggernauts as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Asheville Tourists. Boston pulled off the deal for the most immediately impactful player, Indians catcher Victor Martinez. After a sluggish '08, V-Mart has rebounded with an All-Star campaign this season (although he's slowed noticeably in the second half).

Martinez will take over nominally from Jason Varitek as the Sox starting catcher, although I doubt he'll don the tools of ignorance more than four times a week. He'll also spell Kevin Youkilis at first and Large Papi (Winstrol-free since 2003!) at DH, as well as providing even more insurance for gimpy Mike Lowell (Youk can slide to third). If that ain't enough versatility for ya, Martinez is also a switch-hitter with power and can recite many Jeff Foxworthy comedy routines. Good guy to have around.

In case you thought Sox GM Theo Epstein was only good for big-boy serious deadline moves, he also provided quite a bit of slapstick over the last few weeks. He designated Julio Lugo for assignment in anticipation of cutting him, except the Cardinals were actively looking for a strikeout-prone shortstop with hands of stone. So Theo shipped Julio to the Lou in exchange for Chris Duncan, who's equally awful only younger and able to get sent down to the farm. Enjoy Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Theo traded a couple of disposable prospects to Pittsburgh for Adam LaRoche, one of the uglier active big-leaguers (even uglier than Duncan and Lugo). Today he capped off this spree with a final swap of LaRoche for Atlanta first-sacker Casey Kotchman, who's closest comparable player is Adam LaRoche.

All in all, not a bad haul, although an actual shortstop would have been nice. I'm ecstatic that Martinez only cost the Sox Justin Masterson and some parts, leaving the franchise's best pitching prospects (Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden and Oil Can Boyd) wearing crimson hosiery.

As for that business from yesterday, I'll leave my comment to Craig Calcaterra, who's not even a Boston fan:

You're not surprised, so please don't pretend you are. The only people who will truly surprise you to be associated with steroids are Derek Jeter, juniors Cal Ripken and Ken Griffey, and dudes like Jason Tyner and whatnot (though guys like him shouldn't surprise you).

You've not been betrayed, so please don't claim to be. You enjoyed the baseball of those years and nothing of value has been taken from you as a result of recent revelations. While it's totally legitimate to be turned off and disappointed and generally depressed about all of this, if your sense of trust has been so violated by all of this steroids business that you actually feel the need to claim "betrayal," you probably need to examine if you're still a fan or not.

And you know this one is going to come up like crazy, so let's be perfectly clear: the Red Sox' championship in 2004 is not tainted. At least no more tainted than the outcome of any other championship won by any other team in at least the past 20 years, not to mention the awards and the regular season games and everything else, so please don't even go there. Baseball had a steroids problem. Not just the Red Sox, not just the Yankees, not just the Orioles, Rangers or A's. As such, to the extent one uses this latest news as a means of singling out the Sox, one is simply showing that they see the entire world through rivalries and not reason.

Now, with that out of the way, you may resume your regularly-scheduled outrage.

ARE THERE ANY TEAMS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BESIDES THE RED SOX? Not that I'm aware of.

COME ON. WHAT ABOUT THE YANKEES OF NEW YORK CITY? If you insist. Those crazy Bombers got their mitts on utilityman Scott Hairston, who'll share a bench with recently added Eric Hinske.

THE BAY-RAYS WON THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST LAST YEAR, DID THEY HELP THEMSELVES AT THE DEADLINE? Tampa tried unsuccessfully to reacquire the "Devil" in their name, thinking it would give them the additional cruelty needed to make a push for the playoffs. Unfortunately, Satan has a full no-trade clause and refused to play on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He'll continue protecting A-Rod in the Yankee lineup.

DID TORONTO EVER TRADE ROY HALLADAY? To say that BJ's GM J.P. Ricciardi overplayed is hand would be a colossal understatement. He asked for a king's ransom for Doc, which is understandable--Halladay is arguably the best pitcher on Earth. But when the bidding war involving the richest teams never materialized (it would have been problematic for Ricciardi to deal within his division to the Red Sox or Yankees anyway), J.P. was unable to land a suitable package from the handful of contenders remaining. The Phillies really wanted him, but they refused to part with all four of their best prospects. The Dodgers, Angels and Rangers also had lines they would not cross.

So Halladay stays put, and Ricciardi is now fucked. He'll be lucky to get half the prospect value this winter when he picks up talks again, and for what? So Halladay can pitch August and September of this season for a team that doesn't want him and fans that don't care? Dumb.

ISN'T THERE ONE MORE TEAM IN THIS DIVISION? Indeed there is, it's the Baltimore Orioles. For a team that once again totally blows, they sure are playing it smart. The O's reaped a fortune in talent when they dealt Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard a couple years ago, and at this year's deadline they flipped George Sherill (filler from the Mariners in the Bedard deal) to the desperate Dodgers in exchange for a pair of nice prospects. The Baltimore system is loaded with good young arms, the first wave of which was seen Wednesday when Chris Tillman started against the Royals. Catching all those freaks is Matt Weiters, a 6-5 leviathan of a catcher who may someday hit 50 home runs. In a single game. The outfield corners are set for a decade with Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. All they need is a trained assassin to dispatch of Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff and you've got a scary club on the horizon.

BUT WHAT OF THE REST OF BASEBALL? SURELY MORE ROSTER MOVES WERE MADE TODAY YOU CAN WISE-ASS-I-PHIZE ABOUT?!? Patience, little man. I'll be back with the rest of our deadline happenings soon. Perhaps even by the end of the season, when Midseason Report Cards are due.
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Baseball in the Daytime: 4-20-09

If you like the Orioles or the Red Sox, catch the lone day game details after the jump. You should also be thankful that this ass clown isn't on your roster.

* Baltimore @ Boston, 10:05 Central: The loner gets underway when Mark Hendrickson trots out to the hill to face a division rival. The lefty brings a 1-1 record to the table, and in fact, both clubs are .500 as well with six a piece in both columns. Hendrickson's foe will be Justin Masterson, who gets his first start of the season. Masterson last saw action on Tuesday in relief duty versus Oakland. Seven twenty-one, 722 are your usual DirecTV suspects, while the XM has it on 177.

That's all she wrote for afternoon baseball on 4/20. Leave some green, man. Leave some green.
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Lineup Against the Wall: Baltimore Orioles

So it was incumbent upon me to break down both Eastern divisions in this lil' ongoing format of ours before Opening Day. Uh, oops.

Please bear with me, and read quickly, as I abandon any sense of style, intellectual honesty or common baseball sense over the course of 10 posts. This is like the time I waited until the last minute to write that paper, i.e. the decade of the '90s.

First up, the formerly great Orioles of Peter Angelos.

As I mentioned, these are going to come at you fast and furious. If you're looking for trenchant humor and interesting sentence structure, check out the Administrator's Fiction Fix--at least until I force it off the page by the sheer power of my accumulated lazy.

It's no mystery to anyone that the Orioles suck, and have sucked since at least the mid-to-late '90s. They have passionate fans, the first of the great classic-modern ballparks--and some would still say the best--but nothing worthwhile to put inside the thing for baseballic purposes. Their lineup:


Catcher -- Gregg Zaun
First Base -- Aubrey Huff
Second Base -- Brian Roberts
Third Base -- Melvin Mora
Shortstop -- Cesar Izturis
Left Field -- Felix Pie
Center Field -- Adam Jones
Right Field -- Nick Markakis
DH -- Luke Scott

Starting Pitchers:

Jeremy Guthrie (R)
Koji Uehara (R)
Mark Hendrickson (L)
Alfredo Simon (R)
Adam Eaton (R)

Relief Pitchers:

Chris Ray (R)
Jim Johnson (R)
Danys Baez (R)
Jamie Walker (L)
Dennis Sarfate (R)

Closer:

George Sherrill (L)

Bottom line: The Orioles have some excellent position players, like Brian Roberts, one of the two or three best two-sackers in the bigs, and Aubrey Huff, who had his best season in years in '08. Nick Markakis might jump out this year, too, but they're depending on eternal skill-tease Felix Pie in the outfield and Izturis is Mendoza-esque. Still, though, they might actually score some runs this year, which is good because that pitching staff is vile, George Sherrill faded badly last year and they play in a heavyweight division where even an improvement on last year's 68-93 record won't get them better than 4th. Sorry, downashore types. No Oriole for you.

Projected finish: 5th.
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Baseball In The Daytime: 9-23-08

This regular season really just refuses to die. I love baseball with all of my soul, but Jesus this is unbearable. No one cares. No one.

We have a marginal day game today, a game that has a potential for postseason implications. The Bay-Rays of Tampa have a magic number of five for clinching the Al East. Try and wrap your brain around that one, smart guy. Barring a Mets-like collapse, the FUCKING DEVIL RAYS are going to WIN THE AL EAST.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Joe Maddon should win Manager of the Year. Baseball should then take that award and throw it in the God damned garbage for about a century or so. Retire that shit. It is impossible to imagine any manager for the rest of my life coming remotely close to the job Joe Maddon has done this year. Sure, they've got some great young players--Andrew Friedman has cashed in on his draft picks and built a hell of a roster. And they've been lucky with injuries and the bullpen has coalesced and blah, blah, blah. Joe Maddon is either a god or a demon, but he has otherworldly powers. That much is certain.

Tampa @ Baltimore, 3:05 Mountain Maddon has selected James Shields to start this game. He may have done so via mental telepathy, or he may have used a pen and a lineup card. Shields will face Garrett Olson at Camden Yards, and he'll try to drive one more spike into the chances Boston wins this division. Have a crab cake and Play Ball!
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Midseason Baseball Report: AL East

We're stretching this "Midseason" theme to comical proportions. The current working definitions at the House of Georges World Headquarters:

1. A point equidistant between the beginning of a season and its end.
2. Give or take a month from Definition No. 1
3. Sometime before rosters expand Sept. 1
4. Give or take a month from Definition No. 3
5. On the eve of a Carl Pavano start.

That's right, sports fans, tomorrow marks the season debut of one Carl Anthony Pavano, the Yankees' big free agent catch in 2004. Pavano inked a four-year, $40 million pact and then promptly took the next four years off. For that $40 million in Steinbrenner loot, Carl has contributed 111 innings, 60 strikeouts and five wins. C.C. Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee six weeks ago and has accumulated 73 innings, 69 strikeouts and eight wins in that span.

Pavano is making his third start since June 27--that's June 27, 2005. I'll be throwing a party, if anyone wants to come over. If ever there was an official white flag on a baseball season, the Yankees' decision to hand the ball to Pavano is it. The streak of not missing the playoffs since 1994 is finally, mercifully, magically, over.

So let's talk about the AL East, shall we? Joining us today is old friend Rustoleum, a lifelong Yankees fan and sophisticated baseball connoisseur. You could say he's slightly less excited about Pavano's start than I am. He also employs a literary technique known as sarcasm quite liberally--brace yourself. You can find the AL Central report here, and the AL West version here.

Old No. 7: Let's talk about our favorite division, the one typically dominated by your Yankees and my Red Sox. It's being led by that historically ass-kicking franchise that plays down in...Tampa? What's going on here? Why are the Bay-Rays still getting it done, months and months after we thought they'd fade?

Rustoleum: Tampa has become the A’s and Twins of the Al East. Right now they are just loaded with young studs in all facets of the game. Their pitching has just been superior. I’m sure their tremendous fan support at home plays a huge role as well. I know I always got fired up pitching softball in front of crowds that large… at Lee Martinez park in Fort Collins. Though I thought they would certainly fade due to lack of maturity, but pitching has just been so huge from starters to the pen. It’s certainly not the only case of pitching carrying offense (see D-Backs, Dodgers). Injuries to Longoria, Crawford, and Percy will certainly play a huge roll in where they finish and I’m thinking they still might fall short. But with two number ones in Kazmir and Shields, you’ve always got a chance.

Old No. 7: Meanwhile, the defending champs are just hanging around. They're not winning much (15-13 since the break), but they're still not bad (+117 run differential, 1st in the AL in batting, 6th in ERA). I have my theories, but why do you think the Red Sox have taken a step back?

Rustoleum: Have they really taken a step backwards? Third best record in the AL seems pretty good to me. But if you’re asking why they aren’t the best team in the league, there are two big reasons: Bullpen and Beckett. The bullpen has been an absolute dumpster fire, outside of Paps, and it certainly doesn’t help when starting pitching has been going only 3 innings. I heard Alex Cora was warming up the other night, I’m sure he has electric stuff. It seems like teams have gotten used to Oki-doki, who was huge last year, and Timlin is lights out regularly.

Beckett just hasn’t been as sharp as he was last year, I’m sure in part to a little hangover from last year. But there is only one October, and when the lights are bright the Sox will be the toughest out of the playoffs. At least it’s not 2006, remember the five game sweep?

Old No. 7: I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm still hung over from celebrating two titles this decade. Now let's get to your boys in the Bronx. Hank Steinbrenner conceded the season last week, and you're double-digit games behind the young Bay-Rays. Sidney Ponson is an effective part of your rotation, Richie Sexson was on the roster until just a few days ago, and best of all your scheduled starter for Saturday is Carl Pavano. Let's hear your thoughts.

Rustoleum: I’d like to use this time to talk about my fantasy baseball team. I have very few Yankees, which is a big plus. I do have Mariano, who’s a Hall of Famer, and Johnny Damon is having his best offensive year since coming over from the Evil Empire. I love that he’s moving back to center, his gun is one of the most feared in baseball. Did I mention my fantasy team was in first place and I’m gunning for my fourth title in five years? The Bronx did host the All-Star Game this year and I hear we’re the favorites to Get C.C. Sabathia next year. Remember when the Yankees were unwilling to part with Melky, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy to get Johan? Those three play a lot right now and last I heard the Mets were in first. The Yankees are old and might be in a lot of trouble for years to come.

Old No. 7: I hate Canada, but the Blue Jays are quietly turning in another quietly decent season. Who are we kidding? They suck. They have a big payroll, because their owner is heavily involved in both whiskey distilling and the trafficking of sex slaves from Laos. Why can't the Jays get over these days?

Rustoleum: Remember when we used to do shots of whiskey when I would strike someone out in softball and talk about Brenda’s obsession with ladyboys from Laos? Those were the days. I heard Toronto was considering moving to Montreal and having the team learn French. I just don’t like the Jays, their problems mainly revolve around a lack of pitching and a lack of offense. The Jays need to take a page from the Rays, build from within and stop overpaying for douchebags like B.J. Ryan, David Eckstein, and Lyle Overbay.

Old No. 7: More importantly, are Roy Halladay and Vernon Wells traitors to their native United States for signing contract extensions in Toronto?

Rustoleum: They really aren’t traitors, they just like the health care benefits. Wells knows first hand, he’s spent more time on the DL recently than he’s spent active. The Jays were wise to lock up Halladay, Wells maybe not so much. The Jays have solid prospects coming along, such as Adam Lind and David Purcey. They can get there, but like the Yankees, you have to do it from within.

Old No. 7: Finally, we get to Baltimore. Both you and I have mined the Orioles all season for fantasy players on hot streaks--we're currently profiting from Melvin Mora and Jeremy Guthrie. Other than stat-whore goodies, what's the point of the Orioles these days? When will they turn it around?

Rustoleum: I really like the direction the Orioles are heading. I think the Bedard and Tejada trades stole awesome prospect that have already contributed like Adam Jones and Luke Scott. They have decent pitching coming up, like Garrett Olson and Radhames Liz, to complement Guthrie. This is a team that could really benefit by overpaying for a pitcher like C.C. and dumping awful Daniel Cabrera. That guy is among the worst pitchers on earth. They’ll get Chris Ray back to solidify the bullpen. If they hold on to Brian Roberts, the rest of the division should watch out.

Old No. 7: I know you've been watching a little bit of the Olympics. Are you as impressed as I am with the men's trampoline event and Chinese champion Dong Dong? Beyond Dong's prodigious feats of bounce, what are your impressions of Canadian female trampoliner Karen Cockburn? She can be a little rough on the ascent but she's smooth coming back down.

Rustoleum: I think the best part about the Olympics are the obscure sports. Fuck basketball and track, give me team handball, badminton, archery, and especially trampoline. There’s nothing like watching a bunch of washed up gymnasts make one more run at Olympic glory. Who hasn’t thought about their Dong-Dong bouncing up and down until the Cockburns? I know Banky had that problem last year. What I want to know is why the announcers for NBC have changed the name of shuttlecock to just shuttle for badminton? Are the scared to say cock? Would they just say Karen Burn or Karen Privatepartsburn? Adam Jones will always be Pacman, I’ll always call Isiaih Rider J.R., and it will always be the shuttlecock.
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Baseball in the Daytime: 7-30-08

The theme of today's BitD feature is "home is where the heart is," or something quite trite like that. There's some day games happening, and they all have a comforting little scent of home about them. We'll examine a few kids stepping into the spotlight on semi-familiaresque soil, and a couple of squads that used to inhabit the same municipality, but, uh, one grew up and moved away; the other stayed put. Believe me, it's good, heartfelt times. Tune in below the jump for the details.

Rays @ Jays, 11:37: Our first contest is an AL East matchup, and it happens north of the border this fine pre-noon, or morning as some folks call it. First place Tampa Bay pays third place Toronto a visit for the early go; Edwin Jackson and Scott Richmond tangle in this test of righties. The visiting Jackson takes the mound with a 6-7 record, while the home starter is actually at home (sort of) starting his major-league career. Translation: it's his debut, and he's Canadian, meaning he grew up watching/rooting for the Jays. Glorious. Apparently, the DirecTVs and the XMs don't care about heartfelt, warm-and-fuzzy Canadian stories, 'cause they ain't carrying the game. So I guess you'll have to shell out some dollars to mlbtv.com, or whatever.

O's @ Yanks, 12:05: In a handful of clock ticks, there'll be more AL East action, this time it'll consist of the New York and Baltimore clubs. Thrilling. Let's see, the Yankees have lost three straight, but they'll send their newest beloved douche bag, Joba Chamberlain, to the hill. He'll encounter Dennis Sarfate, who -- you can't make this stuff up -- is from Queens, and this is his first start at Yankees Stadium. Isn't that swell? Either way, he brings a 4-1 record in to the soon-to-be-dynamited ball park, and his O's have won three straight. They'll be hungry for a fourth as it would give them a sweep of the 'Stripes. Chamberlain enters the dual at 3-3, with a 2.30 E.R.A., which ain't too shabby. I hear that's pretty good for a third-place team with a $220 million payroll. Your DirecTV O's feed is on 722, your Yanks one digit higher. Listening on XM? That's a 176er.

Modern KC @ Historic KC, 2:35: A couple hours after those East Coast ball games are underway, there's an afternoon tilt on the Pacific side, and it features the Kansas City Royals, who look to redeem the sweep broomed upon them by the Oakland A's in mid-April. Now, the Royals never called Oakland home, but the A's used to call Kansas City home, and it's a getaway day, which sends the Royals -- mmm-hmm -- home after the contest. Anyway, Monday night, Zack Greinke went seven innings and logged 11 Ks, as the visiting team netted the W, and Gil Meche delivered equal inningage and 8 Ks of his own last night for the second Royal win. Today it's Brian Bannister and Sean Gallagher. While Greinke and Meche evened their records at .500 this week, Banny will need more than a win today (7-9) to do the same to his. Gallagher comes in at the 4-4 mark, and his club has their work cut out for them if they intend to leapfrog Texas and try to chase the Angels. Catch this one on XM 182. That's why I be like: F**k DTV.
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Baseball in the Daytime: 7-24-08

We've got a trio of matches slated for this fine day of late-July baseball. One of today's games feature league leaders, while the other two tend more towards the bottom of their respective divisions. Of the three, two are of the National League variety, while the lone AL contest features a guy looking to keep up with the Mussinas in the double-digits wins category. I'll give you a hint: he hails from Denver, CO and boasts 1200+ strikeouts in his career. That, and he just might be the cat pictured here on the left, but I can't give away any other details. Find out more on this mystery man after the jump.

Phillies @ Los Mets, 11:10: The first on the docket today is a slugfest between the tied-for-first-place-in-the-NL Central clubs that call Philadelphia and New York home. The Phils send lefty Jamie Moyer to the mound, he of the 9-6 record and winner of his last two starts. His opponent will be the also-southpaw Oliver Perez, who currently sits at 6-6. The Mets took yesterday's contest 6-3, likely angering the Phanatic and all baseball fans in Philly. Check 722 for your Philly DirecTV feed, 723 if you root for Los Mets. XM calls the pitches on 189.

Blue Jays @ Orioles, 11:35: Twenty-five minutes later, 11-win Roy Halladay and the Canadian Blue Jays take on Daniel Cabrera and the Baltimore birds. Both of these righties are on the positive side of .500 for their personal records thus far, and both clubs likely don't enjoy their spots at the bottom of the AL East. The Jays are 10 games behind the Rays, while the O's have another half game to whittle away. DirecTV's got the match on 724, and XM will hook you on the 178.

Capitals at Giants, 2:45: Later in the afternoon, it's a war between the coasts, as two more righties square off in the form of San Fran's Matt Cain and Washington's Tim Redding. Both pitchers have their E.R.A.s above four, and will seek to lower them in the Bay Area. Nats feed over on DirecTV is 725; Giants is one digit higher. XM delivers the broadcast 183-style.

That's what's in store for BitD today. Now get out there and gripe about that strike zone!

(Update: It just occurred to me that this post didn't get published before I left the house this morning -- a.k.a. prior to the start of these games -- which certainly had nothing to do with the fact that I was still drunk when I woke up, which renders this post totally useless. Annoying? I'm in agreeance. I blame Al Gore.)
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Baseball In The Daytime: 6-10-08

In the beginning, there was no BITD on this Tuesday. But lo, through the intervention of the Gods of Baseball, a game was rescheduled. We thus have a contest commencing prior to when we get off work. And by "we" I mean the fine gents in the Mountain and Pacific time zones who toil at 9-to-5 gigs.

So rejoice, congregants, and give thanks and praise to the Creator and his disciples. There is baseball, sweet glorious baseball, on tap today.

Baltimore @ Boston, 4:05 Mountain I don't have the slightest clue as to why this one got bumped up an hour. (Update: Now I do.) But like Bob Knight once said, if something is inevitable, you may as well just relax and enjoy it.

A couple of nasty-stuff-wielding pitchers start today in Daniel Cabrera of the O's and Josh Beckett of the Sox. One might think that "stuff" was their only similarity, since Beckett is a two-time World Series winner while Cabrera is a model of mediocrity with his 45-51 career record. But you'd best hold up with those assumptions there, son. Beckett has been hovering dangerously close to his disappointing 2006 numbers, especially in HR allowed. He's yielded 11 jacks this season after only 17 all of last year. That's good for 1.35 per nine, after .76/9 IP in '07 (his '06 rate was 1.58/9 IP).

But still, he's the ace, and he does pitch with those bloodshot stoner eyes and kill deers good to boot. So root, root, root for the home team and go Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 6-5-08

Back with a vengeance, this is Baseball In The Daytime. Where we examine the games of the afternoon, when normal people are at work and you and I sneak beer into paper bags.

Today's highlights include the 2008 big-league debut of a once-heralded prospect, the return from crotchital problems of a dude on Banky's fantasy team, and a distinct AL East flavor. The Bombers are in action, the Orioles too, and we conclude the series between the top two teams in the division.

Toronto @ NY Yankees, 11:05 Mountain Dustin McGowan has been one of this season's breakout players, emerging from the back end of the Blue Jays' rotation as one of the AL's better starters. While his record is only 4-4, that's more a result of the Jays' anemic offense. He's really had only one lousy start, a 9-run affair in Cleveland back in May. The month of Way was also unkind to Yankee starter Wang40--he posted an ERA in excess of five and his only two losses of the year. Both try to kick off their Junes in a better way, today at the Stadium.

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia, 11:05 Back in the Show. Baseball's real-life Nook LaLoosh, Homer Bailey, he of the million-dollar arm and ten-cent head, pops up for the Reds today. Once known as the finest pitching prospect in the game, Bailey stumbled through a rough 2007 campaign before falling behind both Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto in the organizational pecking order. But it's all about the kids in Cincinnati, what with Jay Bruce mania taking over the city and no one making eye contact with Old Man Griffey. Cole Hamels, a long-haired whiz kid himself, takes the mound for the home team.

Baltimore @ Minnesota, 11:10 At the start of the season, I ran every pitcher in the majors through a series of sophisticated statistical metrics. I wanted to identify undervalued arms for my fantasy draft. My Commodore 64 spit out the usual suspects such as Peavy, Santana and Beckett, but also a handful of hidden gems, like Scott Baker. So I drafted Baker, squeezed a few thoroughly ordinary starts out of him, and all was well.

I hit a bit of a roster crunch in April, though, and needed a sub. I dropped Baker, thinking he was still unknown enough that I could sneak him through waivers and reobtain him later. But then Banky swooped in and grabbed him. Several attempts to trade for him were unsuccessful, and only hardened Bank's resolve. It's as though Scott Baker, he of the 19 career wins and 4.65 lifetime ERA, is the centerpiece of his entire pitching strategery. He's been out a month now with a groin, but returns today to surely lead the Alex Gordon Express to championships aplenty. Garrett Olson gets the nod for the O's.

Tampa @ Boston, 4:05 This oddly-timed afternoon getwaway represents an opportunity for the Sox to sweep and expand their new lead in the East. It's tough running with the big boys, as the upstarts from the Gulf Coast are finding out. Today the Bay-Rays assign mighty James Shields the task of avoiding Boston bats, while Jon Lester gets a similar chore for the white shirts.
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Baseball In The Daytime: 5-26-08

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Baseball In The Daytime: 5-14-08

We're going to stretch it out a bit today, like a long reliever who's getting shelled that the manager just leaves in. Takin' one for the team. Savin' the 'pen. Eatin' up the innin's. Please, just stop with the colloquialisms.

After the jump, along with the usual day baseball schedule, we'll take a peek inside the Kansas City Royals at (roughly) the quarter pole of the season.

Seattle @ Texas, 12:05 Mountain The Ballpark at Arlington is your venue for this not-so-thrilling clash of AL West foes. This is The House That W Built--back when his hobby was "owning" the Rangers with other people's money, our current president assembled baseball's juiciest club (here's the '93 roster) and a bandbox to go with it. Today, free of the cream and the clear, these Rangers go with the bad pitching and the bad hitting. Feldman starts today against the Mariners' Carlos Silva. Feldman!

Boston @ Baltimore, 1:05 This brief, annoying little two-game series concludes at Camden Yards with a duel of young starters. Jon Lester is your Soxer dealing from the left side, while Daniel Cabrera is your Oriole from the right. Let's play Crossfire! Boston's mini-swoon continued last night as Josh Beckett was uncharacteristically hittable and Manny Ramirez grounded weakly to the pitcher with the bases loaded and nobody out. On the plus side, my softball team rolled once again, so cash in those parlay tickets, kids.

Fun With Numbers, Royals Edition Operation Cellar Evacuation is complete, at least for now, as KC has relegated once-mighty Detroit to the AL Central basement. The Royals are not a lousy club, but they've certainly cooled off from their hot start. Can they sustain this pleasant mediocrity? Maybe.

The pitching continues to be a bright spot, particularly the bullpen. Royal relievers have posted a 3.81 ERA, which is good for 8th in the league. The 105 strikeouts from the pen is third best in the AL, but unfortunately that total represents 41 per cent of the staff's 255 K. They need more swings and misses from the starters.

Even though those starters' ERA is 10th in the league (4.53), new manager Trey Hillman is allowing his young arms to go fairly deep into games (just over 6 innings a start, comparable with the AL's elite teams). Overall, the Royals have the makings of a nice staff, but longer starts and a shutdown bullpen aren't much of a weapon if you don't score runs.

The Kansas City Offense has been dreadful. The boys in blue are last in runs (3.6 a game) and home runs (a dreadful 19) and 12th in the AL in both on-base (.314) and slugging (.362) percentages.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the cure for all of these problems is but a Dayton Moore phone call away--Barry Bonds. But the requisite balls to make such a call seem to be in short supply, so it's theoretically possible to trade for a stick or two--you could always take on Richie Sexson's enormous salary. Last year's No. 1 pick, shortstop Mike Moustakas, is languishing in A ball and there's little batting help on the horizon in the farm system.

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Baseball In The Daytime: 5-7-08

Our first day games of the week tee off this afternoon with two selections from the Senior Circuit and one from the Junior. If I seem a little hung over today, well, it's because I am.

One of the few things my brain has been able to handle this morning was this video, suggested by Mr. Olney. MLB does not allow you to embed its clips into the blogs, but even if they did I doubt I could have pulled it off. Blame the tequila. After the jump, we'll get our hands dirty with some game previews and vomit...

Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati, 10:35 Mountain Adding intrigue to BITD for exactly two people in the world is a fantasy baseball trade made on Sunday. I acquired Carlos Guillen from my cousin Brian for a package of players that included Reds righty Edinson Volquez. It was tough to part with the kid, but my infield is in shambles. Now, in a cruel gesture fit for Shakespeare, Brian sends Volquez to the mound against me today. Jon Lieber is your Cub starter, if you require these sorts of details.

NY Mets @ LA Dodgers, 1:10 The NL representatives for the nation's two largest media markets wrap up their series today with a getaway contest in Chavez Ravine. John Maine, who was actually born in Virginia, goes against Brad Penny, who makes more than one cent. So what I'm saying is these guys' names are totally misleading. Just wanted to clear that up.

Baltimore @ Oakland, 1:35 I love The Wire, and I love Tupac, so whom shall I pull for in this game? Both the seminal television series and the rap kingpin are dead, but today their legacies are honored by starting pitchers Jeremy Guthrie and Joe Blanton. Two street gangstas if I ever saw 'em. Since I acquired Blanton as a throw-in in the aforementioned Guillen deal, I suppose I'll side with the A's and hope Omar doesn't come after me.

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Baseball In The Daytime: 4-28-07

First off, I'd just like to thank everyone who stopped by the House over the weekend. Cecil's tireless draft-blogging efforts left him with carpal tunnel and the HoG with our two highest-traffic days ever. Anyone who thinks that the NFL is not king, or that fans don't absolutely crave offseason info about their teams, well, those folks are insane.

Getting back to the diamond after that brief gridiron respite, we're presented with but a single day game in the majors today, previewed after the jump. The baseball world is buzzing, though, over the further erosion of the reputation of my generation's greatest pitcher. Seems like Rocket has allegedly been sticking his allegedly steroid-shriveled pecker into the vag of this washed-up Nashville poon, and the whole affair allegedly started when the lass was 15. Must be good times at the ol' Clemens Ranch.

Baltimore @ Chicago White Sox, 12:05 Mountain Regular readers of BITD know about my affinity for Javier Vazquez. Do I think he's on the same level as Peavy, Santana, and Beckett? Of course not. But most fans think he's a bum, yet year in year out he always throws 200 innings, always strikes out 200 batters, always wins 15 or so games. You can set your watch to it. Today Steady Javy faces Daniel Cabrera, who is, um, somewhat less consistent. Cabrera is capable of throwing a perfect game anytime out, but he's also just as liable to get lit the fuck up. Which Cabrera will show? Find out today, and Play Ball!
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