2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

Rizzo homers on the first pitch he sees.

 

Strasburg & Harper would do a good number, even against the Marlins.

It's become a self-fulfilling prophecy. MLB and ESPN have been telling everyone for years that the Yankees and Red Sox are the only teams that matter.

 

Harper homers in his second at-bat.

 

Kid has a sense of timing.

 

Yankees-Red Sox living up to its reputation. Dodgers-Giants scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on ESPN and still just one out in the bottom of the seventh in the Bronx.

 

We're agreed here on the A's The whole "territorial rights" thing is a joke (and, yes, I know the Hasses ceded the South Bay to Bob Lurie way back when) and I don't think Oakland can afford a new yard for the team. I do feel for Oakland, though, since they seem to be on the verge of losing not only the A's to San Jose, but the Warriors to San Francisco ... and how much longer until the Raiders become the 49ers' tenants in Santa Clara? The Raiders' return to Oakland may have been the worst thing that happened to the A's, since in building more seats for Al Davis, they undid a lot of what had been done to make the Coliseum hospitable.

At the same time, I've never bought the "the A's are a small market team" line. They're in a Top 10 TV market, for cryin' out loud. Is there a sign at the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza that states "You must be this tall to sell tickets to baseball games?" Just because Lew Wolff can't, or won't, market his team, does that mean he should get a new yard? Remember he left the tarps on the upper deck during the ALDS?

 

Kinsler was third in MLB in ABs, second in PAs, and second in outs made. Which are all durability indicators more than anything and mostly a function of Wash riding his regulars like rented mules.

Kinsler's been healthy each of the last two seasons, but offensively he's been very so-so since his 2008 blow-up and defensively, he's a frigging butcher — 18 errors last year, worst by far among all second basemen. He should've been charged with one last night for booting the throw-in from Cruz, allowing Cedeno to advance from second to third after Cruz booted it himself (they gave Cruz a two-base error instead).

 

Always good to see your closer get yanked after 1/3 of an inning on Opening Day.

 

Picked up Fujikawa for cheap in my money NL-only keeper league. I'll take it.

 

Did you have to take his interpreter too?

 

Clayton Kershaw just homered to put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the 8th.