Baseball Opening Day News and Blues

April 6, 10:08 PMTampa Bay Sports ExaminerTed Fleming

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Bay Sports Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

It's snow on a Chicago baseball field......YES!
(AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Yankees’ announcer Michael Kaye complained there were more Orioles’ fans at Camden Yards for their opener because the team sells small packages that include only one New York game.

We understand you are paid by the Yankees but it may be time to push away the Kool-Ade. There was only one “homer” in that booth and you are no Phil Rizzuto. Maybe you can use your insight to help Joe Girardi figure out how not to get doubled-up by the hapless Orioles on Opening Day.

*************

Could CC Sabathia’s uniform look any more like pajamas? It was so large Michael Kay could have shared it while he was on the mound. George Steinbernner has a contract with Omar the Tent Maker?

And answer me this, if the Yankees have such a steadfast policy about something as trite as facial hair, how come CC is permitted to wear his cap so crooked one ear will never get sunburned?

*************

Who came up with the brilliant idea of starting the season with both New York teams on the road? The Yanks were in Baltimore and the Mets in Cincy. Two new stadiums were opening and neither could be in the Big Apple? It is not like those building went up after the schedule was made.

*************

When will Major League Baseball ever come to their senses and have as many teams from cold weather cities start the season on the road? The White Sox had a white-out in ChiTown and the game is called the day BEFORE and the Red Sox turned blue with the frigid temps.

There are enough problems trying to make up rainouts during the summer without having to overload teams with day-nighters as some make a push for the postseason.

*************

It was only a spring game, the last before opening day, but you have to wonder why it took three innings for the Nationals’ announcers to figure out hos to call a play.

A runner was hit by a batted ball and both play-by-play guy Bob Carpenter and color man and former big leaguer Rob Dibble agreed on one thing – the runner was out, but here is where viewers had to be wondering how they got their jobs.

Dibble immediately called it an error and the batter gets charged with a time at bat. It made no never-mind that he failed to say who was going to be charged the miscue (the runner maybe, after all he was stupid enough to get hit?) but Carpenter came up with a better solution, fielder’s choice, putout goes to the nearest fielder and batter charged with an at-bat.

It was not until three innings later – THREE INNINGS – before they corrected themselves. Rules state the runner is out but the batter is credited with a base hit.

How come it took so long for someone to correctly identify a rule? And for someone who was in baseball as long as he was, Dibble sure doesn’t know the game. Was this a Donovan McNabb moment of not knowing overtime rules? Maybe Dibble should stick to fighting with Lou Piniella.

You also have to feel bad for the Nats’ Charlie Slowes. He was the Devil Rays original radio voice and called a lot of bad baseball while in Tampa Bay and left before the team turned the corner. He moved up to Washington in the same capacity and following one decent season after the team came down from Montreal, is there any worse team in baseball than the Nationals?

*************

Tried to tune into the Rockies and Diamondbacks and was surprised the game was not in high-definition. An opening day not in HD in these days? Are you kidding me?

The Tiger-Jays from Toronto was also out of 480i land.

*************

Great storytelling around the bigs with the Mets’ Keith Hernandez telling a tale about a minor league game where the field was swarming with tarantulas and how the ground’s crew was actually prepared to get rid of them. Gary Cohen asked Hernandez if he makes this stuff up and said it topped a tornado in a ditch story from last year.

During the same game over on ESPN, former Mets’ GM Steve Phillips used golf as his little diversion. With the Masters Tournament upcoming, he spun the tale about the green jacket the winner receives but informed the viewers that they don’t get to keep it. They have to turn it in the next year.

Phillips also claimed the only golfer in the history of the event to keep his was Gary Player invoking the same question whether the story was true and if someone in the truck was feeding him with the information.

*************

Does it get any better than listening to Vince Scully doing Dodgers’ games? He is the last of a dying breed, the only one in the booth for the entire game. His recall and spinning yarns is second to none.

By the way, has anyone asked him if he ever takes a potty break?

*************

Boy, do I miss Skip Carey and Steve Stone doing Cubs games. Former manager Dusty Baker’s skin was so thin he had both run out of town.

Baker is consistent though. He now has another feud, this time with Reds’ announcer Marty Brennaman. Dusty is the Reds’ skipper and has managed to alienate even Cincy fans too.

The man is still living off the bat of #25 in San Francisco and his batboy son nearly being killed at home plate. Maybe the most overrated individual in baseball.

One good thing though, Stone is back in the Windy City doing occasional work for the White Sox. Now if they can only do something about Hawk Harrelson’s tired “Put it on the board….. Yes!” act.

*************

Maybe it was me but did Ken Griffey Jr. really look good back in his old #24 Mariners’ jersey?

*************

Baseball is back. The Boys of Summer are back. All is right in the world.
 

Ted Fleming is the host of "Speaking of Sports" on Sarasota's WSRQ Sundays from 7-9 pm along with
Rays' Examiner Rob Quinn and Althea Pashman

LISTEN LIVE HERE