Monday, April 09, 2007
Wrigley Field
As I'm about to head out into the cold and show to enjoy yet another Opening Day at Wrigley Field, I thought it would be appropriate to point out Michael Barrett's thoughts about the future of the ballpark.
The Tribune asked him, and some other Cubs, about the ballpark because of the uncertainty created by impending new ownership. Barrett, it turns out, thinks the ballpark should stay exactly the same.
The same, that is, except for one little improvement:
Well, that should be easy enough.
The Tribune asked him, and some other Cubs, about the ballpark because of the uncertainty created by impending new ownership. Barrett, it turns out, thinks the ballpark should stay exactly the same.
The same, that is, except for one little improvement:
"Ideally, especially for this time of year, you'd like to see a dome put on the outside of it," Barrett said. "Don't change anything about Wrigley Field. Just reinforce it and have a dome covering it."
Well, that should be easy enough.
Labels: cubs, Michael Barrett, Opening Day, Tribune, Wrigley Field
Monday, April 03, 2006
Opening Day: Coda
Some of the posts below have been updated with illustrative screenshots. Not to be confused with the photographs-of-a-television-screen that have been used here in the past, these are literal screenshots -- each a single frame of broadcast television video, provided through the courtesy of my recently hacked TiVo.
And we do it all to make you smile.
P.S.: Yankees 15, A's 2 (still not as many runs as the Cubs!).
And we do it all to make you smile.
P.S.: Yankees 15, A's 2 (still not as many runs as the Cubs!).
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 10
7:00 -- New York Yankees at Oakland A's (ESPN 2 and YES)
7:10 -- Johnny Damon's visage is filling me with melancholy. I'm out.
7:10 -- Johnny Damon's visage is filling me with melancholy. I'm out.
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 9
6:09 -- The last instruction on the packet of McCormick taco seasoning is "Serve with toppings, if desired." I'm sure there are people who don't desire toppings on their tacos, but I don't think I want to meet them.
6:10 -- Hey, I got a message from DirecTV: "Stop writing about our negotiations with SportsNet New York."
6:11 -- No, seriously, it's promoting the fact that their phone system is now an interactive voice response system. Good thing I call them so rarely.
6:12 -- Meanwhile, the Astros have the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
6:20 -- I forgot -- I generally desire to put in the lettuce first and then the cheese, but I did it backward. These tacos are ruined!
6:21 -- Something must have happened while I was busying myself with taco preparation, because the Astros now have a 1-0 lead.
6:24 -- I swear the announcer says the Giants are putting Jeremy Pardo into the game, and I try to think of a couple good jokes relating to "Saturday Night Live" (as opposed to good "Saturday Night Live" jokes, which are few and far between), but it turns out his name is actually Jeremy Accardo.
6:25 -- One of the Astros announcers says that the Rockies are leading the Diamondbacks 3-2 in the 11th. That game ended two hours ago. Apparently, during the offseason, someone has forgotten what it means if you get a score update showing the home team leading in the ninth inning or later, even if it doesn't expressly say "final."
6:38 -- It ends in a double play in Houston: Astros 1, Marlins 0.
6:39 -- Meanwhile, it's likely Barry Bonds's last at-bat of the day in San Diego, and he's out 4-3 (the second baseman playing very deep). No home runs for Barry today!
6:40 -- Moises Alou drops a double into center field, just out of reach for Dave Roberts.
6:42 -- Pedro Feliz is out 6-3, it's Padres 6, Giants 1, and I've got no baseball to watch for the next 18 minutes! I'll see you on the other side...
6:10 -- Hey, I got a message from DirecTV: "Stop writing about our negotiations with SportsNet New York."
6:11 -- No, seriously, it's promoting the fact that their phone system is now an interactive voice response system. Good thing I call them so rarely.
6:12 -- Meanwhile, the Astros have the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
6:20 -- I forgot -- I generally desire to put in the lettuce first and then the cheese, but I did it backward. These tacos are ruined!
6:21 -- Something must have happened while I was busying myself with taco preparation, because the Astros now have a 1-0 lead.
6:24 -- I swear the announcer says the Giants are putting Jeremy Pardo into the game, and I try to think of a couple good jokes relating to "Saturday Night Live" (as opposed to good "Saturday Night Live" jokes, which are few and far between), but it turns out his name is actually Jeremy Accardo.
6:25 -- One of the Astros announcers says that the Rockies are leading the Diamondbacks 3-2 in the 11th. That game ended two hours ago. Apparently, during the offseason, someone has forgotten what it means if you get a score update showing the home team leading in the ninth inning or later, even if it doesn't expressly say "final."
6:38 -- It ends in a double play in Houston: Astros 1, Marlins 0.
6:39 -- Meanwhile, it's likely Barry Bonds's last at-bat of the day in San Diego, and he's out 4-3 (the second baseman playing very deep). No home runs for Barry today!
6:40 -- Moises Alou drops a double into center field, just out of reach for Dave Roberts.
6:42 -- Pedro Feliz is out 6-3, it's Padres 6, Giants 1, and I've got no baseball to watch for the next 18 minutes! I'll see you on the other side...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 8
5:03 -- Angels go ahead 5-3 in the top of the ninth.
5:13 -- Roberto Petagine hits a pinch-hit home run for the Mariners, and it's now 5-4 with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
5:18 -- Los Angeles, or perhaps Anaheim, wins: Angels 5, Mariners 4.
5:19 -- I only have two games to watch now. Giants and Padres tied at 1, Marlins and Astros tied at 0. I'm paying more attention to Giants-Padres.
5:21 -- And now both games are in commercial. It would be more fun if there were more Bay Area or Houston-specific commercials, but no such luck.
5:31 -- Vital bottom-of-the-screen ticker as the Padres take the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth: "The Sharks @ Dallas game is airing live right now on FSN Plus on Comcast digital cable channel 410 and on analog channels 11, 14, 27, 32, 33, 69 or 77, 655 on DirecTV and 453 on Dish Network. The Sharks game will also be joined in progr--" and then the ticker disappears at the end of the inning so that they can switch to an exterior shot of American Airlines Center in Dallas (with the light rail going by!) and the announcer essentially saying the same thing as the ticker -- but fortunately for everyone, he doesn't have to read off those channel numbers. This is all because FSN doesn't have a full-time second channel in the Bay Area the way they do in L.A.
5:36 -- No, wait, now the Giants announcer has to read off those channel numbers. Wow.
5:38 -- And the announcers spend two minutes joking about having to read off all those channel numbers (specifically, the fact that the music bed almost ran out).
5:40 -- Barry Bonds flies out to center and is soundly booed.
5:48 -- The honking vehicle is back, but honking from slightly farther away than before.
5:49 -- Khalil Greene hits a 2-run homer to put the Padres up 4-1. The ball is caught by a guy who wore a brown monk's robe to the game. He's not fully dedicated to the Padres, though. He has not cut his hair -- in fact, he has long, luscious, curly locks of the type that I'd probably have if I let my hair grow, ladies.
5:58 -- I think the last few innings of the two games currently in progress would be best enjoyed with tacos. I'll go make some right now!
What, you thought I was making up those channel numbers? I would never joke about something so serious...
5:13 -- Roberto Petagine hits a pinch-hit home run for the Mariners, and it's now 5-4 with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
5:18 -- Los Angeles, or perhaps Anaheim, wins: Angels 5, Mariners 4.
5:19 -- I only have two games to watch now. Giants and Padres tied at 1, Marlins and Astros tied at 0. I'm paying more attention to Giants-Padres.
5:21 -- And now both games are in commercial. It would be more fun if there were more Bay Area or Houston-specific commercials, but no such luck.
5:31 -- Vital bottom-of-the-screen ticker as the Padres take the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth: "The Sharks @ Dallas game is airing live right now on FSN Plus on Comcast digital cable channel 410 and on analog channels 11, 14, 27, 32, 33, 69 or 77, 655 on DirecTV and 453 on Dish Network. The Sharks game will also be joined in progr--" and then the ticker disappears at the end of the inning so that they can switch to an exterior shot of American Airlines Center in Dallas (with the light rail going by!) and the announcer essentially saying the same thing as the ticker -- but fortunately for everyone, he doesn't have to read off those channel numbers. This is all because FSN doesn't have a full-time second channel in the Bay Area the way they do in L.A.
5:36 -- No, wait, now the Giants announcer has to read off those channel numbers. Wow.
5:38 -- And the announcers spend two minutes joking about having to read off all those channel numbers (specifically, the fact that the music bed almost ran out).
5:40 -- Barry Bonds flies out to center and is soundly booed.
5:48 -- The honking vehicle is back, but honking from slightly farther away than before.
5:49 -- Khalil Greene hits a 2-run homer to put the Padres up 4-1. The ball is caught by a guy who wore a brown monk's robe to the game. He's not fully dedicated to the Padres, though. He has not cut his hair -- in fact, he has long, luscious, curly locks of the type that I'd probably have if I let my hair grow, ladies.
5:58 -- I think the last few innings of the two games currently in progress would be best enjoyed with tacos. I'll go make some right now!
What, you thought I was making up those channel numbers? I would never joke about something so serious...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 7
4:00 -- Florida Marlins at Houston Astros (FSN Houston)
4:00 -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres (ESPN 2 and FSN Bay Area)
4:01 -- The National League champion Astros are being feted at Enron Field -- I mean Minute Maid Park -- before the game.
4:03 -- Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are back on TV after having stayed up very late last night. I'm not sure if they even know where they are right now (San Diego).
4:11 -- Former Devil Ray Danys Baez is in the game for the Dodgers in the top of the ninth. Vin Scully helpfully spells his name for the benefit of the radio listeners. The "S" is silent, you know. Hmm, how's his belt?
4:16 -- Danys Baez held the Braves scoreless in the top of the ninth, so now the Dodgers need to provide some offense.
4:17 -- Jake Peavy of the Padres retires the Giants in order in the top of the first, so Barry Bonds will lead off the top of the second.
4:19 -- Bonds makes a catch for an out in left field and is soundly booed.
4:21 -- It went final in Colorado: Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2 (11 innings).
4:22 -- The Dodgers made it up to 11-10 with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth -- and Olmedo Saenz hit a 5-3 grounder to end the game (a leaping throw by Chipper Jones certainly helped). Braves 11, Dodgers 10.
4:24 -- In Petco Park, where it's hard to hit home runs, Barry Bonds leads off the second inning with a ground-rule double.
4:36 -- They reached the agreement -- no DirecTV logo for Wednesday's Mets game.
4:48 -- I'm posting a little less here because I'm trying to catch up on a message board and watch baseball simultaneously. The Angels and Mariners are still tied at 3 in the top of the ninth, and there was just a loud train whistle to mark Cesar Izturis getting a base on balls -- authentic, unlike any train whistles that may be heard at Enron Field -- I mean Minute Maid Park.
As far as I'm concerned, Texas is a strange and bizarre alternate universe where highways have numbers starting with "FM" (and car dealerships are named after game show producers)...
4:00 -- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres (ESPN 2 and FSN Bay Area)
4:01 -- The National League champion Astros are being feted at Enron Field -- I mean Minute Maid Park -- before the game.
4:03 -- Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are back on TV after having stayed up very late last night. I'm not sure if they even know where they are right now (San Diego).
4:11 -- Former Devil Ray Danys Baez is in the game for the Dodgers in the top of the ninth. Vin Scully helpfully spells his name for the benefit of the radio listeners. The "S" is silent, you know. Hmm, how's his belt?
4:16 -- Danys Baez held the Braves scoreless in the top of the ninth, so now the Dodgers need to provide some offense.
4:17 -- Jake Peavy of the Padres retires the Giants in order in the top of the first, so Barry Bonds will lead off the top of the second.
4:19 -- Bonds makes a catch for an out in left field and is soundly booed.
4:21 -- It went final in Colorado: Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2 (11 innings).
4:22 -- The Dodgers made it up to 11-10 with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth -- and Olmedo Saenz hit a 5-3 grounder to end the game (a leaping throw by Chipper Jones certainly helped). Braves 11, Dodgers 10.
4:24 -- In Petco Park, where it's hard to hit home runs, Barry Bonds leads off the second inning with a ground-rule double.
4:36 -- They reached the agreement -- no DirecTV logo for Wednesday's Mets game.
4:48 -- I'm posting a little less here because I'm trying to catch up on a message board and watch baseball simultaneously. The Angels and Mariners are still tied at 3 in the top of the ninth, and there was just a loud train whistle to mark Cesar Izturis getting a base on balls -- authentic, unlike any train whistles that may be heard at Enron Field -- I mean Minute Maid Park.
As far as I'm concerned, Texas is a strange and bizarre alternate universe where highways have numbers starting with "FM" (and car dealerships are named after game show producers)...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 6
3:00 -- No game starting this hour.
3:05 -- What looks like dust is getting in the way of the centerfield camera on the Tigers-Royals game, but it may well be mist from the outfield fountain.
3:10 -- For the last 10 minutes, a vehicle on the street in front of my apartment building has been occasionally honking its horn, as if the driver is waiting for someone who has not arrived at the vehicle yet. Doesn't everyone have cell phones now that they can use instead of a horn?
3:18 -- One of my neighbors yelled, "Lay off the horn!" This is slightly more interesting than the Dodgers game, in which the Braves are now leading 10-5.
3:20 -- The vehicle with the horn is gone. The yelling worked!
3:26 -- Every year about this time, I get some kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola, and every year I forget that because I'm used to regular Coke sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, the kosher Coke sweetened with sucrose has what I perceive to be a weird aftertaste. Also, it's foamier than regular Coke.
3:28 -- Oh, yeah, it was Cardinals 13, Phillies 5. 3 runs fewer than the Cubs!
3:34 -- The Angels were leading 3-0 at one point, but now the Mariners have tied things up in the bottom of the 5th.
3:43 -- Attendance at today's Dodgers game is announced as 56,000, which happens to be the exact capacity of Dodger Stadium. Hmm... According to Vin Scully, it's never been that high for a regular-season game before. (But I happen to know it's been higher for postseason games, which is a neat trick.)
3:44 -- Many of those 56,000 have already left, and even more start to stream out after Ryan "Islets of" Langerhans puts the Braves up 11-5 with a solo home run.
3:47 -- I really haven't been paying attention to this one, since it's the other game not available in DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package today, but I happen to see on the Dodger Stadium out-of-town scoreboard that the Diamondbacks and Rockies are tied at 2 in the 10th inning. Only 2 runs apiece at Coors Field? They must have lowered its altitude during the off-season.
3:49 -- Speaking of which, I take a quick look at this webcam -- looks like the new Busch Stadium is all ready to go for its opening game a week from today.
3:54 -- Wow, the Royals seem to be entirely composed of people I remember from other teams -- one of them, Reggie Sanders, grounds into a 6-3 play, and the game goes final as Tigers 3, Royals 1.
3:57 -- Olmedo Saenz of the Dodgers pretends to have been hit by a pitch. No one is fooled, but the ploy apparently rattles Braves pitcher Blaine Moyer enough that Saenz hits a 2-run single after heading back home. Now the Dodgers are only down 11-7.
3:05 -- What looks like dust is getting in the way of the centerfield camera on the Tigers-Royals game, but it may well be mist from the outfield fountain.
3:10 -- For the last 10 minutes, a vehicle on the street in front of my apartment building has been occasionally honking its horn, as if the driver is waiting for someone who has not arrived at the vehicle yet. Doesn't everyone have cell phones now that they can use instead of a horn?
3:18 -- One of my neighbors yelled, "Lay off the horn!" This is slightly more interesting than the Dodgers game, in which the Braves are now leading 10-5.
3:20 -- The vehicle with the horn is gone. The yelling worked!
3:26 -- Every year about this time, I get some kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola, and every year I forget that because I'm used to regular Coke sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, the kosher Coke sweetened with sucrose has what I perceive to be a weird aftertaste. Also, it's foamier than regular Coke.
3:28 -- Oh, yeah, it was Cardinals 13, Phillies 5. 3 runs fewer than the Cubs!
3:34 -- The Angels were leading 3-0 at one point, but now the Mariners have tied things up in the bottom of the 5th.
3:43 -- Attendance at today's Dodgers game is announced as 56,000, which happens to be the exact capacity of Dodger Stadium. Hmm... According to Vin Scully, it's never been that high for a regular-season game before. (But I happen to know it's been higher for postseason games, which is a neat trick.)
3:44 -- Many of those 56,000 have already left, and even more start to stream out after Ryan "Islets of" Langerhans puts the Braves up 11-5 with a solo home run.
3:47 -- I really haven't been paying attention to this one, since it's the other game not available in DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package today, but I happen to see on the Dodger Stadium out-of-town scoreboard that the Diamondbacks and Rockies are tied at 2 in the 10th inning. Only 2 runs apiece at Coors Field? They must have lowered its altitude during the off-season.
3:49 -- Speaking of which, I take a quick look at this webcam -- looks like the new Busch Stadium is all ready to go for its opening game a week from today.
3:54 -- Wow, the Royals seem to be entirely composed of people I remember from other teams -- one of them, Reggie Sanders, grounds into a 6-3 play, and the game goes final as Tigers 3, Royals 1.
3:57 -- Olmedo Saenz of the Dodgers pretends to have been hit by a pitch. No one is fooled, but the ploy apparently rattles Braves pitcher Blaine Moyer enough that Saenz hits a 2-run single after heading back home. Now the Dodgers are only down 11-7.
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 5
2:00 -- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Seattle Mariners (FSN West)
2:00 -- Confirmed that FSN West is still FSN West, at least until they decide to rename themselves FSN Z Channel.
2:01 -- The weather looks pretty nice in Seattle, too.
2:02 -- Finally, in Baltimore, the bottom of the fifth comes to an end with the Orioles leading 7-4.
2:03 -- The Dodgers are on the board! It's 4-1.
2:04 -- Vin Scully is being simulcast on the radio, I am reminded when he says "on television, we're looking at...", which continues the old-timey feeling.
2:06 -- I finally see a score for the Cardinals-Phillies game, not being carried by DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package. The Cards must be trying to outdo the Cubs in runs scored -- it's 13-3 in the sixth.
2:07 -- As the family of rookie Devil Rays pitcher Johnny Childers is being interviewed in the stands, Travis Lee hits a 2-run homer into a different part of the stands, and the Rays have cut the Orioles' lead to 1.
2:10 -- Hmm, I wonder if that Japanese ad for "Nintendo DS Lite" behind home plate at Safeco Field indicates that this game is being shown in Japan. I mean, there must be a few people who speak Japanese in the Seattle area.
2:14 -- It's the bottom of the ninth in Arlington, and the Rangers are keeping it interesting with a couple of hits.
2:15 -- I've been forgetting to watch the Tigers-Royals game. Their Aflac trivia answer was Kenny Rogers, presumably meaning the starting pitcher for the Tigers and not the roasted-chicken impresario.
2:18 -- Another final: Red Sox 7, Rangers 3.
2:19 -- I'm getting the "for ordering information, call..." notice on that channel, so the Pirates-Brewers game must have gone final while I wasn't paying attention to that one. Yes: Brewers 5, Pirates 2.
2:20 -- It's the bottom of the eighth in Cincinnati, and a lot of fans have left the ballpark, even though the Reds are only down by 5.
2:26 -- Vin Scully: "You know how you dress up the house when company's coming? Well, they have dressed up Dodger Stadium -- and the company's here!"
2:27 -- But they obviously haven't installed cell phone jammers at Dodger Stadium, as a quick look at the fans sitting right behind home plate makes all too clear.
2:28 -- They also haven't dressed up the Dodgers enough, as Atlanta gets another run to go up 5-1.
2:29 -- Reds relief pitcher Rick White is wearing number 00. I like him almost as much as Brandon Watson.
2:30 -- And then there's Cubs rookie outfielder Angel Pagan. I wonder which god (or gods) he worships.
2:33 -- The Cubs are up to 13 runs -- same number of runs the Cardinals currently have.
2:34 -- Now the Orioles are ahead 9-6, and the Braves are ahead 8-1.
2:35 -- A Devil Rays promo promises that this season, they will be "bringing endless energy every single game." I'll believe it when I see it.
2:37 -- The Cubs have now equaled their run total from last year's Opening Day, which was a Cubs Opening Day record. It's 16-7.
2:39 -- Now I hear that Albert Pujols had home runs in his first two at-bats -- but he's no Tuffy!
2:40 -- I assume the roof is closed at Safeco Field so the wind doesn't mess up the "2006" spelled out in light-colored dirt on the infield.
2:42 -- The Orioles' costumed mascot has black wings with orange tips on his back, which I guess is semi-accurate, except that they look like the hand-held lights that are used to direct airplane pilots into the proper stopping position.
2:43 -- Joe Maddon has changed from sunglasses to his regular glasses. Now the Rays need to come back to win, so that retro-hipster eyewear is encouraged.
2:46 -- The Dodgers are slowly working their way out of the hole: it's now 8-4.
2:47 -- Okay, there may be lots of people on cell phones at Dodger Stadium, but at least they're blase enough not to wave like an idiot when they're on camera, unlike a certain man in the third row in Cincinnati.
2:48 -- His waving like a maniac didn't help, because the final is Cubs 16, Reds 7.
2:53 -- It's the top of the ninth in Baltimore with the Devil Rays down by 3 runs.
2:56 -- The Rays are unable to come back. Orioles 9, Devil Rays 6. Oh, well, it's still possible for them to finish 161-1.
That Japanese ad at Safeco Field...
2:00 -- Confirmed that FSN West is still FSN West, at least until they decide to rename themselves FSN Z Channel.
2:01 -- The weather looks pretty nice in Seattle, too.
2:02 -- Finally, in Baltimore, the bottom of the fifth comes to an end with the Orioles leading 7-4.
2:03 -- The Dodgers are on the board! It's 4-1.
2:04 -- Vin Scully is being simulcast on the radio, I am reminded when he says "on television, we're looking at...", which continues the old-timey feeling.
2:06 -- I finally see a score for the Cardinals-Phillies game, not being carried by DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package. The Cards must be trying to outdo the Cubs in runs scored -- it's 13-3 in the sixth.
2:07 -- As the family of rookie Devil Rays pitcher Johnny Childers is being interviewed in the stands, Travis Lee hits a 2-run homer into a different part of the stands, and the Rays have cut the Orioles' lead to 1.
2:10 -- Hmm, I wonder if that Japanese ad for "Nintendo DS Lite" behind home plate at Safeco Field indicates that this game is being shown in Japan. I mean, there must be a few people who speak Japanese in the Seattle area.
2:14 -- It's the bottom of the ninth in Arlington, and the Rangers are keeping it interesting with a couple of hits.
2:15 -- I've been forgetting to watch the Tigers-Royals game. Their Aflac trivia answer was Kenny Rogers, presumably meaning the starting pitcher for the Tigers and not the roasted-chicken impresario.
2:18 -- Another final: Red Sox 7, Rangers 3.
2:19 -- I'm getting the "for ordering information, call..." notice on that channel, so the Pirates-Brewers game must have gone final while I wasn't paying attention to that one. Yes: Brewers 5, Pirates 2.
2:20 -- It's the bottom of the eighth in Cincinnati, and a lot of fans have left the ballpark, even though the Reds are only down by 5.
2:26 -- Vin Scully: "You know how you dress up the house when company's coming? Well, they have dressed up Dodger Stadium -- and the company's here!"
2:27 -- But they obviously haven't installed cell phone jammers at Dodger Stadium, as a quick look at the fans sitting right behind home plate makes all too clear.
2:28 -- They also haven't dressed up the Dodgers enough, as Atlanta gets another run to go up 5-1.
2:29 -- Reds relief pitcher Rick White is wearing number 00. I like him almost as much as Brandon Watson.
2:30 -- And then there's Cubs rookie outfielder Angel Pagan. I wonder which god (or gods) he worships.
2:33 -- The Cubs are up to 13 runs -- same number of runs the Cardinals currently have.
2:34 -- Now the Orioles are ahead 9-6, and the Braves are ahead 8-1.
2:35 -- A Devil Rays promo promises that this season, they will be "bringing endless energy every single game." I'll believe it when I see it.
2:37 -- The Cubs have now equaled their run total from last year's Opening Day, which was a Cubs Opening Day record. It's 16-7.
2:39 -- Now I hear that Albert Pujols had home runs in his first two at-bats -- but he's no Tuffy!
2:40 -- I assume the roof is closed at Safeco Field so the wind doesn't mess up the "2006" spelled out in light-colored dirt on the infield.
2:42 -- The Orioles' costumed mascot has black wings with orange tips on his back, which I guess is semi-accurate, except that they look like the hand-held lights that are used to direct airplane pilots into the proper stopping position.
2:43 -- Joe Maddon has changed from sunglasses to his regular glasses. Now the Rays need to come back to win, so that retro-hipster eyewear is encouraged.
2:46 -- The Dodgers are slowly working their way out of the hole: it's now 8-4.
2:47 -- Okay, there may be lots of people on cell phones at Dodger Stadium, but at least they're blase enough not to wave like an idiot when they're on camera, unlike a certain man in the third row in Cincinnati.
2:48 -- His waving like a maniac didn't help, because the final is Cubs 16, Reds 7.
2:53 -- It's the top of the ninth in Baltimore with the Devil Rays down by 3 runs.
2:56 -- The Rays are unable to come back. Orioles 9, Devil Rays 6. Oh, well, it's still possible for them to finish 161-1.
That Japanese ad at Safeco Field...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 4
1:00 -- Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers (FSN Prime Ticket)
1:00 -- Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (FSN Detroit)
1:00 -- It's final in New York: Mets 3, Nationals 2. That DirecTV logo is still there. And that means it's time to, yes, activate the blackout on ESPN. I'm being forced to watch the Dodgers on FSN Prime Ticket...
1:01 -- ...so let's see if we can get this straight. First there was a local cable movie network called Z Channel. Eventually, they added Dodgers games and became Z Plus. Then they got rid of the movies and became Prime Ticket. I've got a Los Angeles TV Guide from 1995 that calls it "Prime Sports," but that doesn't necessarily mean that was their actual name. Then they became part of the Fox Sports family and became Fox Sports West. Then Fox added a second channel, which they called Fox Sports West 2, and moved the Dodgers to the second channel so they could get both carried by cable operators. Then Fox thought people might not know they were a network, so they became Fox Sports Net West and Fox Sports Net West 2. Then Fox got tired of always saying "Fox Sports Net," so they became FSN West and FSN West 2. And as of today, FSN West is still FSN West, but FSN West 2 has become, yes, FSN Prime Ticket. Fox Sports' web site acknowledges this in that they don't show any listings for today for FSN West 2, but they don't seem to offer listings for FSN Prime Ticket.
1:08 -- While I was typing up that long explanation that probably put everyone but me to sleep, the Devil Rays went up 4-2 in the top of the third. I like them again.
1:13 -- FSN Prime Ticket's audio level is about as low as MASN's, which is making it hard to hear Vin Scully as he talks about the umpires getting a flat tire on the way to the game. But you don't have to hear Vin Scully to see the new pastel color scheme at Dodger Stadium -- it's 1962 all over again!
1:16 -- Also, for some reason, although they've successfully got the FSN Prime Ticket logo at the top of the screen in some of the camera shots, they don't have the score strip at the top of the screen. It's 1962 all over again!
1:18 -- The Milwaukee Braves -- I mean, the Atlanta Braves; I somehow got the impression that it was 1962 -- have a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.
1:20 -- While I was trying to figure out the FSN Prime Ticket situation, the Cubs went up 11-5 in Cincinnati, and they still have the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the sixth. Clearly, part of a plan to outdo their crosstown rivals and the 10 runs in their opener last night.
1:25 -- Alas, a check of my e-mail informs me that friend of baseballrelated.com and Cardinals fan Rachel (she was one of the attendees at this Angels-Devil Rays game last year) will soon be moving out of Los Angeles and back to her home state of Illinois.
1:30 -- FSN Prime Ticket got their score strip working. There is no need to panic. What their logo actually says is "Prime FSN Ticket," I notice, so perhaps that's what I'll call them from now on.
1:31 -- As always, every time Vin Scully finishes a sentence, I expect someone else to start talking, but no one ever does. It is quite a refreshing change from every other baseball game, particularly those featuring Tim McCarver.
1:33 -- Back on February 22, Vin Scully signed a contract extension that will keep him as the Dodgers broadcaster through the 2008 season, when he claims he'll retire. At the press conference to announce this, he said he liked it better when the Dodgers had the names on the back of their uniforms. Team chairman Frank McCourt immediately vowed that the names would be back in 2007. There must be some bizarre reason why he couldn't bring the names back for 2006 -- probably part of the same agreement that required that "used with permission" disclaimer I remarked upon back at 10:18 A.M.
1:35 -- Wait a minute, it's pronounced "Nessen" and not "N-E-S-N"? Yikes.
1:43 -- Luis Matos and Melvin Mora hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Orioles now lead 5-4. There's the Devil Rays we know and love!
1:48 -- The top of the third in the Dodgers game begins with a look at the new new seats in Dodger Stadium, which are literal box seats, complete with a little table.
1:50 -- Long line for Dodger Dogs at the concession stand. Mmm, a Dodger Dog would be even tastier than those potato chips and onion dip I had an hour and a half ago. But I have no hot dogs, just ground beef for tacos.
1:52 -- Now it's looking sunny in Milwaukee, except for the Pirates, who are down 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. I assume the Miller Park roof is closed, but the sunlight is coming through the glass. That's something Tropicana Field could use -- windows! But it'd probably be impossible to cut into the walls to add them now.
1:54 -- An ad for "Scary Movie 4," directed by David Zucker -- and starring Craig Bierko, who I've closed-captioned on "Days of Our Lives." Um, I think I'll wait until it's on HBO or perhaps Showtime, where I'm sure it will be shown while DirecTV is having a free weekend (that's how I saw "Scary Movie 3" recently).
1:58 -- Clearly, baseball hasn't been engrossing me enough if I'm thinking about Craig Bierko.
The new Prime FSN Ticket logo (seen at upper right) scares kids in the stands at Dodger Stadium...
1:00 -- Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (FSN Detroit)
1:00 -- It's final in New York: Mets 3, Nationals 2. That DirecTV logo is still there. And that means it's time to, yes, activate the blackout on ESPN. I'm being forced to watch the Dodgers on FSN Prime Ticket...
1:01 -- ...so let's see if we can get this straight. First there was a local cable movie network called Z Channel. Eventually, they added Dodgers games and became Z Plus. Then they got rid of the movies and became Prime Ticket. I've got a Los Angeles TV Guide from 1995 that calls it "Prime Sports," but that doesn't necessarily mean that was their actual name. Then they became part of the Fox Sports family and became Fox Sports West. Then Fox added a second channel, which they called Fox Sports West 2, and moved the Dodgers to the second channel so they could get both carried by cable operators. Then Fox thought people might not know they were a network, so they became Fox Sports Net West and Fox Sports Net West 2. Then Fox got tired of always saying "Fox Sports Net," so they became FSN West and FSN West 2. And as of today, FSN West is still FSN West, but FSN West 2 has become, yes, FSN Prime Ticket. Fox Sports' web site acknowledges this in that they don't show any listings for today for FSN West 2, but they don't seem to offer listings for FSN Prime Ticket.
1:08 -- While I was typing up that long explanation that probably put everyone but me to sleep, the Devil Rays went up 4-2 in the top of the third. I like them again.
1:13 -- FSN Prime Ticket's audio level is about as low as MASN's, which is making it hard to hear Vin Scully as he talks about the umpires getting a flat tire on the way to the game. But you don't have to hear Vin Scully to see the new pastel color scheme at Dodger Stadium -- it's 1962 all over again!
1:16 -- Also, for some reason, although they've successfully got the FSN Prime Ticket logo at the top of the screen in some of the camera shots, they don't have the score strip at the top of the screen. It's 1962 all over again!
1:18 -- The Milwaukee Braves -- I mean, the Atlanta Braves; I somehow got the impression that it was 1962 -- have a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.
1:20 -- While I was trying to figure out the FSN Prime Ticket situation, the Cubs went up 11-5 in Cincinnati, and they still have the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the sixth. Clearly, part of a plan to outdo their crosstown rivals and the 10 runs in their opener last night.
1:25 -- Alas, a check of my e-mail informs me that friend of baseballrelated.com and Cardinals fan Rachel (she was one of the attendees at this Angels-Devil Rays game last year) will soon be moving out of Los Angeles and back to her home state of Illinois.
1:30 -- FSN Prime Ticket got their score strip working. There is no need to panic. What their logo actually says is "Prime FSN Ticket," I notice, so perhaps that's what I'll call them from now on.
1:31 -- As always, every time Vin Scully finishes a sentence, I expect someone else to start talking, but no one ever does. It is quite a refreshing change from every other baseball game, particularly those featuring Tim McCarver.
1:33 -- Back on February 22, Vin Scully signed a contract extension that will keep him as the Dodgers broadcaster through the 2008 season, when he claims he'll retire. At the press conference to announce this, he said he liked it better when the Dodgers had the names on the back of their uniforms. Team chairman Frank McCourt immediately vowed that the names would be back in 2007. There must be some bizarre reason why he couldn't bring the names back for 2006 -- probably part of the same agreement that required that "used with permission" disclaimer I remarked upon back at 10:18 A.M.
1:35 -- Wait a minute, it's pronounced "Nessen" and not "N-E-S-N"? Yikes.
1:43 -- Luis Matos and Melvin Mora hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Orioles now lead 5-4. There's the Devil Rays we know and love!
1:48 -- The top of the third in the Dodgers game begins with a look at the new new seats in Dodger Stadium, which are literal box seats, complete with a little table.
1:50 -- Long line for Dodger Dogs at the concession stand. Mmm, a Dodger Dog would be even tastier than those potato chips and onion dip I had an hour and a half ago. But I have no hot dogs, just ground beef for tacos.
1:52 -- Now it's looking sunny in Milwaukee, except for the Pirates, who are down 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. I assume the Miller Park roof is closed, but the sunlight is coming through the glass. That's something Tropicana Field could use -- windows! But it'd probably be impossible to cut into the walls to add them now.
1:54 -- An ad for "Scary Movie 4," directed by David Zucker -- and starring Craig Bierko, who I've closed-captioned on "Days of Our Lives." Um, I think I'll wait until it's on HBO or perhaps Showtime, where I'm sure it will be shown while DirecTV is having a free weekend (that's how I saw "Scary Movie 3" recently).
1:58 -- Clearly, baseball hasn't been engrossing me enough if I'm thinking about Craig Bierko.
The new Prime FSN Ticket logo (seen at upper right) scares kids in the stands at Dodger Stadium...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 3
12:00 -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Baltimore Orioles (FSN Florida)
12:00 -- Hooray, they're using FSN Florida's coverage of the Devil Rays-Orioles game, so I get to see their opening reel of highlights from last season. 45 seconds later, it's time for the game!
12:01 -- And another technical flub: a graphic at the bottom of the screen says "Marlins Baseball." I'm sure under normal circumstances, FSN would wish it were something other than the Devil Rays, but this season, the Rays may well have a better year than the Marlins.
12:02 -- Full disclosure: I'm wearing my Devil Rays Rocco Baldelli T-shirt.
12:05 -- As seen during the "Devil Rays baseball is brought to you by..." billboards, Quikrete has a special Opening Day logo that someone took about 5 seconds to draw. So was Opening Day built by The Home Depot out of Quikrete?
12:06 -- It's Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon and his retro hipster glasses, which are no doubt reminding many Devil Rays fans of the glasses their kids or grandkids wore back in the 1950s.
12:09 -- The Devil Rays' first batter of the year, Julio Lugo, hits a double off the Camden Yards right-field scoreboard. Cubs vs. Devil Rays in the World Series!
12:11 -- Scott Hatteberg hits a 3-run homer for the Reds, so now the Cubs are only leading 5-4. Well, maybe it'll be Devil Rays-Cardinals or something.
12:13 -- Julio Lugo scores on a sacrifice fly, and the announcer claims that it'll give "fans who are watching on the big board at Tropicana Field something to cheer about." Given the usual attendance at Tropicana Field when the Devil Rays are actually playing there, I'm picturing a large, cavernous space with plenty of elbow room. But maybe I'm underestimating the level of Rays excitement in the Tampa Bay area, given the new ownership and team manager.
12:17 -- Wait a minute -- this whole time while the DirecTV logo has been on Channel 744 instead of SportsNet New York's coverage of the Mets-Nationals game, Channel 745 has been showing the MASN coverage of the Mets-Nationals game.
12:19 -- Boo to Southwest Airlines for referring to "Tampa Bay" when they really mean "Tampa," unless they've outfitted their 737s as seaplanes and I'm unaware of it. (In the past, other airlines have used a similar trick to disguise the fact that they fly into St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport -- but Southwest, being an airline you've heard of, actually does serve Tampa International Airport.)
12:25 -- MASN's audio level is very low. The classic rock accompanying the DirecTV logo is much easier to hear. Incidentally, MASN is not to be confused with "M*A*S*H," or the NASL.
12:33 -- MASN presents the "Chevy Drive of the Game," in the bottom of the seventh. Someday there are going to be so many sponsorships sold during baseball telecasts that it'll be something like this: "And the first pitch of the game -- in there for a strike! And now the Hostess Twinkies Pitch of the Game..."
12:34 -- Jonny Gomes leads off the top of the second for the Devil Rays with a home run. I'm liking these 2006 Devil Rays so far.
12:40 -- While I haven't been paying attention, the Red Sox have gone up 5-0 on the Rangers.
12:45 -- Well, now Joe Maddon is wearing non-retro sunglasses, although it's kind of a hazy day in Baltimore. I know this because he came out to briefly suggest to the umpire that he might want to watch for fan interference if there are any future ground balls that carom down the left-field line. He should be talking to the Camden Yards security people -- there's a very good replay showing a fair ball encountering 1) a hat, and 2) a beer.
12:51 -- The Orioles have scored two runs in the bottom of the second. These 2006 Devil Rays are impressing me a little less right now.
12:55 -- And now it's 5-5 in Cincinnati. So maybe the Cubs and Devil Rays won't make the World Series after all.
12:56 -- We're in the top of the ninth in New York with the Mets leading 3-2. I do like the Nationals' away uniforms.
12:59 -- Nobody's IMing me, perhaps because I'm the only one watching baseball on a day when normal people are at their jobs.
Devil Rays announcers going undercover...
The special Quikrete Opening Day logo...
12:00 -- Hooray, they're using FSN Florida's coverage of the Devil Rays-Orioles game, so I get to see their opening reel of highlights from last season. 45 seconds later, it's time for the game!
12:01 -- And another technical flub: a graphic at the bottom of the screen says "Marlins Baseball." I'm sure under normal circumstances, FSN would wish it were something other than the Devil Rays, but this season, the Rays may well have a better year than the Marlins.
12:02 -- Full disclosure: I'm wearing my Devil Rays Rocco Baldelli T-shirt.
12:05 -- As seen during the "Devil Rays baseball is brought to you by..." billboards, Quikrete has a special Opening Day logo that someone took about 5 seconds to draw. So was Opening Day built by The Home Depot out of Quikrete?
12:06 -- It's Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon and his retro hipster glasses, which are no doubt reminding many Devil Rays fans of the glasses their kids or grandkids wore back in the 1950s.
12:09 -- The Devil Rays' first batter of the year, Julio Lugo, hits a double off the Camden Yards right-field scoreboard. Cubs vs. Devil Rays in the World Series!
12:11 -- Scott Hatteberg hits a 3-run homer for the Reds, so now the Cubs are only leading 5-4. Well, maybe it'll be Devil Rays-Cardinals or something.
12:13 -- Julio Lugo scores on a sacrifice fly, and the announcer claims that it'll give "fans who are watching on the big board at Tropicana Field something to cheer about." Given the usual attendance at Tropicana Field when the Devil Rays are actually playing there, I'm picturing a large, cavernous space with plenty of elbow room. But maybe I'm underestimating the level of Rays excitement in the Tampa Bay area, given the new ownership and team manager.
12:17 -- Wait a minute -- this whole time while the DirecTV logo has been on Channel 744 instead of SportsNet New York's coverage of the Mets-Nationals game, Channel 745 has been showing the MASN coverage of the Mets-Nationals game.
12:19 -- Boo to Southwest Airlines for referring to "Tampa Bay" when they really mean "Tampa," unless they've outfitted their 737s as seaplanes and I'm unaware of it. (In the past, other airlines have used a similar trick to disguise the fact that they fly into St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport -- but Southwest, being an airline you've heard of, actually does serve Tampa International Airport.)
12:25 -- MASN's audio level is very low. The classic rock accompanying the DirecTV logo is much easier to hear. Incidentally, MASN is not to be confused with "M*A*S*H," or the NASL.
12:33 -- MASN presents the "Chevy Drive of the Game," in the bottom of the seventh. Someday there are going to be so many sponsorships sold during baseball telecasts that it'll be something like this: "And the first pitch of the game -- in there for a strike! And now the Hostess Twinkies Pitch of the Game..."
12:34 -- Jonny Gomes leads off the top of the second for the Devil Rays with a home run. I'm liking these 2006 Devil Rays so far.
12:40 -- While I haven't been paying attention, the Red Sox have gone up 5-0 on the Rangers.
12:45 -- Well, now Joe Maddon is wearing non-retro sunglasses, although it's kind of a hazy day in Baltimore. I know this because he came out to briefly suggest to the umpire that he might want to watch for fan interference if there are any future ground balls that carom down the left-field line. He should be talking to the Camden Yards security people -- there's a very good replay showing a fair ball encountering 1) a hat, and 2) a beer.
12:51 -- The Orioles have scored two runs in the bottom of the second. These 2006 Devil Rays are impressing me a little less right now.
12:55 -- And now it's 5-5 in Cincinnati. So maybe the Cubs and Devil Rays won't make the World Series after all.
12:56 -- We're in the top of the ninth in New York with the Mets leading 3-2. I do like the Nationals' away uniforms.
12:59 -- Nobody's IMing me, perhaps because I'm the only one watching baseball on a day when normal people are at their jobs.
Devil Rays announcers going undercover...
The special Quikrete Opening Day logo...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 2
11:00 -- Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers (ESPN 2 and NESN)
11:00 -- Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds (WGN and FSN Ohio)
11:00 -- Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers (FSN North)
11:01 -- I know FSN is overtly trying to be depressingly homogenous, but certainly some FSN networks are more likely than others to show Piggly Wiggly commercials.
11:06 -- No matter what your opinion of George W. Bush, I think we can all agree that he's good at throwing out first pitches, even if he's high and outside on this one.
11:08 -- Johnny Damon's replacement is leading off for the Red Sox. Mmm, Coco Crisp -- a delicious breakfast treat.
11:10 -- The Pirates have big, triangular, and kinda ugly commemorative All-Star Game patches on their uniforms. But how many of them will actually be playing in the All-Star Game?
11:14 -- FSN North is excited about their first chance to show an instant replay that's courtesy of the new robotic camera attached to the backstop at Miller Park.
11:16 -- It's too early in the day for me to have to deal with talking mattresses on NESN.
11:17 -- The Cubs are already up 1-0 with no outs in the top of the first.
11:20 -- It's a beautiful, sunny day in Arlington, Texas, much different than the cloudy weather for the other three games that are going on right now.
11:28 -- Now the Cubs are up 5-0 after a 3-run homer by Matt Murton. They're going all the way to the World Series championship!
11:34 -- Same as last year, the Superstation WGN picture makes Great American Ball Park look hazy and blurry. The FSN Ohio picture is crisp and clear, like bottled water or something.
11:38 -- The Reds have the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the first. The Cubs' 5-run lead may not hold up!
11:39 -- In the stands, Bush is looking at a kid's drawings of him throwing out the first pitch. At least, I think they're a kid's drawings and not drawings he did.
11:41 -- Reds announcer George Grande sounds like he has a Chicago accent -- I notice it when he says "Gaat him -- first strikeout for Zaambraano" -- but nothing in his background indicates that he's spent any time in Chicago, just New England and a little time in Los Angeles.
11:46 -- Hey, guess what's on the SportsNet New York channel -- the DirecTV logo!
11:47 -- The aforementioned Matt Murton makes a leaping catch against the outfield wall to get Carlos Zambrano out of his bases-loaded jam, so the Reds only manage to score 1 against the soon-to-be champion Cubs.
11:53 -- It's raining here in beautiful Sherman Oaks Adjacent, which could mean problems for the Dodgers home opener, scheduled to start in just over an hour less than 10 miles away.
11:59 -- I'm a little hungry -- good thing I prepared some onion dip last night, so it's chilling in the fridge right now, ready for potato chips to be dipped into it.
Shop the Pig...
11:00 -- Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds (WGN and FSN Ohio)
11:00 -- Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers (FSN North)
11:01 -- I know FSN is overtly trying to be depressingly homogenous, but certainly some FSN networks are more likely than others to show Piggly Wiggly commercials.
11:06 -- No matter what your opinion of George W. Bush, I think we can all agree that he's good at throwing out first pitches, even if he's high and outside on this one.
11:08 -- Johnny Damon's replacement is leading off for the Red Sox. Mmm, Coco Crisp -- a delicious breakfast treat.
11:10 -- The Pirates have big, triangular, and kinda ugly commemorative All-Star Game patches on their uniforms. But how many of them will actually be playing in the All-Star Game?
11:14 -- FSN North is excited about their first chance to show an instant replay that's courtesy of the new robotic camera attached to the backstop at Miller Park.
11:16 -- It's too early in the day for me to have to deal with talking mattresses on NESN.
11:17 -- The Cubs are already up 1-0 with no outs in the top of the first.
11:20 -- It's a beautiful, sunny day in Arlington, Texas, much different than the cloudy weather for the other three games that are going on right now.
11:28 -- Now the Cubs are up 5-0 after a 3-run homer by Matt Murton. They're going all the way to the World Series championship!
11:34 -- Same as last year, the Superstation WGN picture makes Great American Ball Park look hazy and blurry. The FSN Ohio picture is crisp and clear, like bottled water or something.
11:38 -- The Reds have the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the first. The Cubs' 5-run lead may not hold up!
11:39 -- In the stands, Bush is looking at a kid's drawings of him throwing out the first pitch. At least, I think they're a kid's drawings and not drawings he did.
11:41 -- Reds announcer George Grande sounds like he has a Chicago accent -- I notice it when he says "Gaat him -- first strikeout for Zaambraano" -- but nothing in his background indicates that he's spent any time in Chicago, just New England and a little time in Los Angeles.
11:46 -- Hey, guess what's on the SportsNet New York channel -- the DirecTV logo!
11:47 -- The aforementioned Matt Murton makes a leaping catch against the outfield wall to get Carlos Zambrano out of his bases-loaded jam, so the Reds only manage to score 1 against the soon-to-be champion Cubs.
11:53 -- It's raining here in beautiful Sherman Oaks Adjacent, which could mean problems for the Dodgers home opener, scheduled to start in just over an hour less than 10 miles away.
11:59 -- I'm a little hungry -- good thing I prepared some onion dip last night, so it's chilling in the fridge right now, ready for potato chips to be dipped into it.
Shop the Pig...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Opening Day: Hour 1
And away we go (times listed are Pacific Daylight Time)...
10:00 -- Washington Nationals at New York Mets (ESPN and, in theory, SportsNet New York)
10:00 -- DirecTV has the channel space set aside for the Mets' new network, SportsNet New York, but I don't think they've actually signed the contract yet. They have the game listed to be on Channel 744 -- a listing that wasn't there yesterday -- but that channel is still showing the DirecTV logo and playing classic rock. So instead I have to listen to Chris Berman on ESPN.
10:04 -- Opening Day is "built by The Home Depot." I guess we can't have TV shows sponsored or brought to us anymore, and ESPN has been in the vanguard of that; "Monday Night Countdown," for example, is "delivered by UPS."
10:05 -- Could be worse. Opening Day could be "erected by Levitra."
10:09 -- First technical flub of the new season: ESPN forgets to turn up the volume when they start running a clip of Mets manager Willie Randolph talking about something or other.
10:12 -- Tom Glavine? Isn't he about 120 years old?
10:12 -- Rookie Brandon Watson of the Nationals wears number 00. I like him already.
10:13 -- Watson flies out to center, so perhaps 000 would be a better uniform number at this point.
10:17 -- Middle of the first inning, and still just the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel.
10:18 -- ESPN's promo for games coming later today has a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen that I don't think I've ever seen on a promo: "Major League Baseball trademarks used with permission." You'd think it would be implied that if you're paying for the rights to broadcast the games, you can use video of baseball players in uniform without such a disclaimer. No wonder people hate lawyers!
10:20 -- The bottom-of-the-screen ticker reminds us that Dmitri Young of the Tigers hit three home runs back on Opening Day 2005. I remember (but he's still no Tuffy).
10:24 -- End of the first inning, and still just the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel. Probably both sides of the negotiations were thinking the pressure would really be on once the game started.
10:25 -- Must be summer, if it's time for a commercial for weed killer!
10:31 -- Paul LoDuca fails to throw out a runner when he drops the ball and his glove. He's no Mike Piazza!
10:32 -- Chris Berman identifes a certain Nationals player as "Royce-a-Roni Clayton, the San Francisco treat." Groan.
10:37 -- Middle of the second inning. The good news is that, currently accompanying the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel, the music is "Touch Me," my favorite Doors song. Whatever commercials are running on ESPN, they can't possibly be better than "Touch Me."
10:40 -- Stronger than dirt.
10:42 -- Livan Hernandez is throwing pitches similar to Bugs Bunny's perplexing slow pitches -- Chris Berman contends "I drive faster than that pitch," and thinks the Juggs gun can't go that low -- but since we don't have cartoon physics in the real world, the Mets are only able to swing once at each pitch.
10:44 -- End of the second inning. I wonder how many disgruntled DirecTV subscribers/Mets fans are burning up the phone lines to complain about the SportsNet New York situation, since I assume ESPN is blacked out in the New York area.
10:48 -- There are two mentions of baseball on today's L.A. Times comics page: "Heathcliff" ("He's been chosen to eat the ceremonial first hot dog") and "Sally Forth" ("Wanna play catch out back?" "Sorry, Dad. I'm gonna go listen to music with Faye.") But "In the Bleachers" is about basketball, and "Marmaduke" mentions water polo, of all things. Obviously, I'm not devoting my complete attention to the baseball game on TV right this second.
10:52 -- Middle of the third inning. I have now figured out that what's accompanying the DirecTV logo is XM radio's "Top Tracks" channel, which is currently playing Yes's "And You and I: Cord of Life/Eclipse/The Preacher the Teacher/Apocalypse" -- yes, that's apparently an example of a song that XM considers eligible to be on "Top Tracks," as opposed to their other classic rock channel, "Deep Tracks." Who needs Howard Stern?
10:58 -- Tom Glavine gets a hit! Pretty good for a 130-year-old. Actually, Livan Hernandez got a hit, too, probably while I was reading the newspaper.
Imagine some classic rock music playing, and you'll get the general idea of what SportsNet New York was like today...
10:00 -- Washington Nationals at New York Mets (ESPN and, in theory, SportsNet New York)
10:00 -- DirecTV has the channel space set aside for the Mets' new network, SportsNet New York, but I don't think they've actually signed the contract yet. They have the game listed to be on Channel 744 -- a listing that wasn't there yesterday -- but that channel is still showing the DirecTV logo and playing classic rock. So instead I have to listen to Chris Berman on ESPN.
10:04 -- Opening Day is "built by The Home Depot." I guess we can't have TV shows sponsored or brought to us anymore, and ESPN has been in the vanguard of that; "Monday Night Countdown," for example, is "delivered by UPS."
10:05 -- Could be worse. Opening Day could be "erected by Levitra."
10:09 -- First technical flub of the new season: ESPN forgets to turn up the volume when they start running a clip of Mets manager Willie Randolph talking about something or other.
10:12 -- Tom Glavine? Isn't he about 120 years old?
10:12 -- Rookie Brandon Watson of the Nationals wears number 00. I like him already.
10:13 -- Watson flies out to center, so perhaps 000 would be a better uniform number at this point.
10:17 -- Middle of the first inning, and still just the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel.
10:18 -- ESPN's promo for games coming later today has a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen that I don't think I've ever seen on a promo: "Major League Baseball trademarks used with permission." You'd think it would be implied that if you're paying for the rights to broadcast the games, you can use video of baseball players in uniform without such a disclaimer. No wonder people hate lawyers!
10:20 -- The bottom-of-the-screen ticker reminds us that Dmitri Young of the Tigers hit three home runs back on Opening Day 2005. I remember (but he's still no Tuffy).
10:24 -- End of the first inning, and still just the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel. Probably both sides of the negotiations were thinking the pressure would really be on once the game started.
10:25 -- Must be summer, if it's time for a commercial for weed killer!
10:31 -- Paul LoDuca fails to throw out a runner when he drops the ball and his glove. He's no Mike Piazza!
10:32 -- Chris Berman identifes a certain Nationals player as "Royce-a-Roni Clayton, the San Francisco treat." Groan.
10:37 -- Middle of the second inning. The good news is that, currently accompanying the DirecTV logo on the SportsNet New York channel, the music is "Touch Me," my favorite Doors song. Whatever commercials are running on ESPN, they can't possibly be better than "Touch Me."
10:40 -- Stronger than dirt.
10:42 -- Livan Hernandez is throwing pitches similar to Bugs Bunny's perplexing slow pitches -- Chris Berman contends "I drive faster than that pitch," and thinks the Juggs gun can't go that low -- but since we don't have cartoon physics in the real world, the Mets are only able to swing once at each pitch.
10:44 -- End of the second inning. I wonder how many disgruntled DirecTV subscribers/Mets fans are burning up the phone lines to complain about the SportsNet New York situation, since I assume ESPN is blacked out in the New York area.
10:48 -- There are two mentions of baseball on today's L.A. Times comics page: "Heathcliff" ("He's been chosen to eat the ceremonial first hot dog") and "Sally Forth" ("Wanna play catch out back?" "Sorry, Dad. I'm gonna go listen to music with Faye.") But "In the Bleachers" is about basketball, and "Marmaduke" mentions water polo, of all things. Obviously, I'm not devoting my complete attention to the baseball game on TV right this second.
10:52 -- Middle of the third inning. I have now figured out that what's accompanying the DirecTV logo is XM radio's "Top Tracks" channel, which is currently playing Yes's "And You and I: Cord of Life/Eclipse/The Preacher the Teacher/Apocalypse" -- yes, that's apparently an example of a song that XM considers eligible to be on "Top Tracks," as opposed to their other classic rock channel, "Deep Tracks." Who needs Howard Stern?
10:58 -- Tom Glavine gets a hit! Pretty good for a 130-year-old. Actually, Livan Hernandez got a hit, too, probably while I was reading the newspaper.
Imagine some classic rock music playing, and you'll get the general idea of what SportsNet New York was like today...
Labels: Opening Day, tv
Notes from Opening Day morning
Wow, I stayed up longer than the Los Angeles Times sports department last night! They went to press with "the White Sox quickly took control and built a 10-4 lead after 7 1/2 innings," but I was awake until I caught up with the TiVo recording in the middle of the 8th inning. Speaking of the L.A. Times, here's noted class act Vin Scully, quoted today talking about possibly being in the broadcast booth when Barry Bonds passes Babe Ruth's and/or Hank Aaron's home run records: "I would just as soon it not happen against the Dodgers....If I had my druthers, I would rather have that awkward moment happen to somebody else."
Thanks to advanced technology that is currently available to me, I'm now thinking I'm going to attempt to make a post here once an hour today, with the first one around two hours from now, at 11:00 A.M. Pacific/1:00 P.M. Central. I will also attempt to be online on AIM/iChat as trainmanplus all day while I'm watching TV, so feel free to chat. (If I don't say hi back, it'll be because the advanced technology has turned out to be too overwhelming.)
Thanks to advanced technology that is currently available to me, I'm now thinking I'm going to attempt to make a post here once an hour today, with the first one around two hours from now, at 11:00 A.M. Pacific/1:00 P.M. Central. I will also attempt to be online on AIM/iChat as trainmanplus all day while I'm watching TV, so feel free to chat. (If I don't say hi back, it'll be because the advanced technology has turned out to be too overwhelming.)
Labels: barry bonds, indianapolis indians, los angeles times, Opening Day, vin scully, white sox
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Opening up
Hey, the season starts in less than four hours!
I did it in 2004, I did it in 2005, and courtesy of my current lack of employment, I'll be doing it again tomorrow: sitting in front of a TV equipped with DirecTV's free-for-the-first-week MLB Extra Innings package and watching the Opening Day games. As far as I can tell, I won't have the opportunity to watch all 13 games that will be going on; Cardinals at Phillies and D-Backs at Rockies are missing from the DirecTV schedule, although last year I was surprised by one game unexpectedly being available. Also, unlike last year, there are night games scheduled -- including a West Coast night game (Yankees at A's at 7:00 Pacific time) -- so I probably won't make it through the entire day, but I'll try to stick around at least through the conclusion of the Angels-Mariners game, and maybe even until the Marlins-Astros and Giants-Padres games wrap up, especially if all the jeers, boos, and taunts at Petco Park are making Barry Bonds weep openly.
And now, off to the supermarket to purchase the fixings for chili (for tonight) and tacos (for tomorrow night).
I did it in 2004, I did it in 2005, and courtesy of my current lack of employment, I'll be doing it again tomorrow: sitting in front of a TV equipped with DirecTV's free-for-the-first-week MLB Extra Innings package and watching the Opening Day games. As far as I can tell, I won't have the opportunity to watch all 13 games that will be going on; Cardinals at Phillies and D-Backs at Rockies are missing from the DirecTV schedule, although last year I was surprised by one game unexpectedly being available. Also, unlike last year, there are night games scheduled -- including a West Coast night game (Yankees at A's at 7:00 Pacific time) -- so I probably won't make it through the entire day, but I'll try to stick around at least through the conclusion of the Angels-Mariners game, and maybe even until the Marlins-Astros and Giants-Padres games wrap up, especially if all the jeers, boos, and taunts at Petco Park are making Barry Bonds weep openly.
And now, off to the supermarket to purchase the fixings for chili (for tonight) and tacos (for tomorrow night).
Labels: Opening Day
Monday, April 04, 2005
And what an Opening Day it was
10:00 -- Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers (ESPN 2 and FSN Detroit)
10:26 -- In the 2nd inning, the Detroit announcers mention Jeremy Bonderman's 14-strikeout game last year for the first time.
10:30 -- Milwaukee Brewers at Pitttsburgh Pirates (ESPN alternate feed and FSN Pittsburgh)
10:52 -- The Pirates announcers call Florida "bland." The state, that is, not the Marlins.
10:59 -- Dmitri Young of the Tigers hits his second home run. Do we have a Tuffy Rhodes in the making here?
11:00 -- New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (ESPN and FSN Ohio)
11:08 -- For some reason, Jeff Daniels is in the booth with the FSN Detroit announcers at the Tigers game.
11:12 -- One of the FSN Ohio announcers makes up a new term, referring to today as "Starting Day."
11:19 -- Hey, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, if you're going to say "let's listen to the Reds fans' reactions to Griffey coming up to bat," you should shut up for more than two seconds after you say that. I think I will eschew ESPN's coverage of this game from here on out.
11:22 -- Talking about his Tiger Stadium memories, Jeff Daniels mentions a toilet that was located out in the open in the hallway leading to the visitors' dugout. He says he was thinking about all the greats who had used it in the past, such as Joe DiMaggio, the one time he got to use it.
11:30 -- Adam Dunn of the Reds hits one to right field. It's going, it's going -- and suddenly, my TiVo switches to GSN to record "Card Sharks" as a suggestion. This is strange for two reasons: first, it's not supposed to try recording a suggestion if you've been watching live TV; second, "Card Sharks" is already being recorded on the other tuner. This isn't something I have to deal with often because I so rarely watch live TV, so it takes me longer than it should to make sure that I'm canceling the suggestion recording, not the recording I had actually set up.
11:33 -- Dmitri Young gets hit by a pitch. He's no Tuffy, I guess, but then, who is?
11:51 -- The Tigers can get Jeff Daniels, but all they can get on FSN Pittsburgh during the Pirates game is some executive from PNC Bank.
11:59 -- Saltines and Easy Cheese: snack of champions!
Noon -- Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies (not available on DirecTV, so this is the last you're going to hear about this game)
Noon -- Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
Noon -- Oakland A's at Baltimore Orioles (FSN Bay Area)
12:09 -- Historic video from 1994 on FSN Ohio: Pedro Martinez, then of the Expos, plunking Reggie Sanders of the Reds, thus ending a perfect game, and Sanders charging the mound.
12:11 -- Orioles Rodrigo Lopez and Javy Lopez's uniforms both say just "Lopez," no first initials.
12:22 -- Sammy Sosa! What's he doing here in Baltimore? Not hitting a home run, at this point.
12:32 -- Comcast SportsNet "forgot" to take their logo off the screen during a commercial.
12:34 -- Pedro Martinez records his 10th strikeout, to make this the 100th double-digit-strikeout game of his career. Who does he think he is, Jeremy Bonderman?
12:42 -- Dmitri Young hits his third home run! He's Tuffy after all!
12:49 -- Comcast SportsNet's audio level is lower than all the other channels, so I have to ride the volume on my remote when I switch to and from the Indians-White Sox game.
12:56 -- The P.A. announcer at Great American Ball Park announces Pedro Martinez's 100th pitch -- that's the first time I've ever heard that.
12:59 -- The Royals-Tigers game seems to have ended while I wasn't paying attention.
1:00 -- Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Devil Rays (FSN Florida)
1:00 -- San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (FSN Rocky Mountain)
1:00 -- The pre-produced opening for the Devil Rays game doesn't mention Alex Sanchez. (Although they probably talked about him ad nauseam on the pregame show. But pregame shows aren't included in the MLB Extra Innings package.)
1:05 -- Don Zimmer is introduced as the Devil Rays' Senior Baseball Advisor, "in his 57th major league season."
1:08 -- Yes, there are other teams that wear vest-style uniform shirts (Royals, Rockies, etc.), but only the Devil Rays manage to make them look like The Uniform of the Future.
1:13 -- FSN Florida, a television network that's located in the United States, is actually showing the singing of "O Canada" on TV! Lots of Canadians in Florida at this time of year who might protest if they didn't, I guess.
1:21 -- The turf at Tropicana Field still looks awful on TV. It doesn't help that the other games so far today are all taking place under brilliant sunshine.
1:27 -- And Tropicana Field has plenty of good seats available, as usual.
1:34 -- FSN Pittsburgh is showing fans streaming out of PNC Park and over the bridge, so I guess that game is over.
1:40 -- The Devil Rays' slogan this year, to try to get people to buy tickets to games, appears to be "Watch It Happen," which I guess is slightly better than "Come In Out of the Rain."
1:43 -- I flip to FSN Ohio and see Pete Rose eating a salad in a commercial for local Cincinnati fast-food chain Gold Star Chili. For some reason, I doubt that Pete Rose has ever eaten a salad in real life.
1:50 -- The A's announcers are talking about a USA Today survey of players and coaches that rated the field at McAfee Coliseum the best in the American League. McAfee? What happened to Network Associates? I can't keep all these corporate names straight.
1:54 -- "Devil Rays baseball on FSN Florida is brought to you in part by Quikrete concrete products," presumably because Tropicana Field is made entirely of Quikrete.
2:00 -- Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks (ESPN 2 and WGN)
2:00 -- Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (ESPN 2 alternate feed)
2:02 -- While flipping channels, I stumble across the Padres-Rockies game, which I swear wasn't listed in the DirecTV on-screen schedule as of 9:58 A.M. It's already 4-3, in the bottom of the 3rd.
2:05 -- Make that 6-3.
2:09 -- Meanwhile, the Devil Rays are down 3-1 on back-to-back homers.
2:11 -- The FSN Florida announcers, referring to Manitoba native Corey Koskie: "That ball had a lot of English on it, even though it was hit by a Canadian."
2:20 -- I switch to the Cubs-Diamondbacks game on ESPN 2 and think I see a WGN banner, so I check, and it turns out it's on WGN, too, which I didn't check beforehand. There's baseball on lots of channels!
2:30 -- I notice that DirecTV's description of the Blue Jays-Devil Rays game ends with the statement "game may be subject to blackouts in Toronto and Tampa Bay." I guarantee that anyone watching on DirecTV in Toronto is not being blacked out, since everyone watching on DirecTV in Toronto has given DirecTV a fake address somewhere in the U.S. (and since FSN Florida is what the Tampa Bay area is "supposed" to be getting, it's not being blacked out there, either).
2:34 -- Train whistles: one of the best things about watching a Mariners game.
2:46 -- The ad on the rotating board behind the home plate at Tropicana Field is for the radio station that's now carrying the games. Actually, I should put that another way: it's for the radio station that the Devil Rays are paying to carry their games. That's how woeful they are.
2:51 -- Superstation WGN's big Tuesday night movie this week is "Robocop." Hasn't everyone in the world with any interest in this movie seen it by now?
2:52 -- The Cubs are up 7-0 in the 2nd inning. Sammy who?
2:56 -- The facial hair configuration currently being sported by Toby Hall of the Devil Rays is described as "a small marsupial on his chin."
2:58 -- For the Cubs-Diamondbacks game, ESPN 2 has a beautiful, crisp picture. On Superstation WGN, the game looks like it's coming through Saran Wrap coated in Vaseline.
3:03 -- Guess the Touchstone Pictures marketing people decided not to try to sell "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" as a comedy in the TV ads (as opposed to the theatrical trailer I saw yesterday, which did make it look like it at least has certain comic elements).
3:07 -- I've been forgetting about the Padres-Rockies game, which is now 8-8 in the 6th inning. In fact, just as I flip, one of the announcers calls it "another Coors Field special."
3:15 -- In honor of the Opening Day action, I drink Cherry Coke out of an old Cubs souvenir cup.
3:20 -- The roof is being closed in Seattle even though it still looks sunny, which leads to a long discussion by the ESPN 2 Alternate Announcers on why they might be closing it. I change channels before the serious conspiracy theories can get started.
3:25 -- I see the Mets-Reds final score; looks like the Reds came back to win 7-6 after being down 6-3. In hindsight, I guess should have watched more of that game after Pedro Martinez left.
3:34 -- The Padres' sand-colored away uniforms look weird for the second year in a row.
3:39 -- The Devil Rays lose their opening game for the first time since 1999. Yes, really -- it's been the other 161 games they've had the most trouble with.
3:43 -- On the Padres-Rockies game, a 6-year-old boy is being interviewed in the stands: "Don't you have school today?" "No." "Why not?" "I'm homeschooled!"
3:59 -- The Diamondbacks still have those unexplained hot-air-balloon-shaped patches on their sleeves.
4:05 -- The FSN Rocky Mountain announcers say they're about to show a graphic with some startling statistics. When the graphic comes up, it's not all that startling; it shows that, at Coors Field, since 2003, the Padres have scored a lot more runs against the Rockies from the 9th inning on (37) than the Rockies have scored against the Padres (3). Trevor Hoffman is the big reason for the disparity. This is important because it's 10-8 in favor of the Padres in the bottom of the 8th.
4:07 -- For the first time since 10:30, I can't flip channels to avoid a commercial; all three games still going on are in a break simultaneously.
4:08 -- The problem with flipping between games is that you miss things; the Cubs announcers say something about Victor Zambrano being ejected.
4:15 -- And I flip back to the Cubs-Diamondbacks game just in time to see Derrek Lee hit a 3-run homer, and to finally hear the name of the WGN announcer whose voice I don't recognize (i.e., the one who's not Bob Brenly). It's Len Kasper -- who?
4:25 -- Despite Trevor Hoffman being on the mound, the Rockies tie their game at 10 in the bottom of the 9th.
4:26 -- And Trevor Hoffman is still on the mound when Clint Barmes hits a 2-run walk-off homer; Rockies win, 12-10.
4:35 -- The Twins-Mariners game goes final, with Seattle winning 5-1.
4:38 -- The Cubs go up 14-3 on a 2-run homer by Aramis Ramirez. Do I really have to watch the rest of this?
4:43 -- Superstation WGN ends a promo with a dig at TBS's slogan, referring to themselves as "where comedy isn't just very funny, it's super funny." This would be more piquant if it weren't a promo for "Will & Grace."
4:50 -- I take advantage of a commercial break and check my e-mail. My father informs me that at one point this afternoon, the headline on ESPN.com was "Dmitri Young, meet Tuffy Rhodes."
4:56 -- The Cubs get their 20th hit, and it's "only" the top of the 8th, with no outs.
4:57 -- Hit number 21, and it's 15-5.
4:59 -- 16-5. It's the most runs the Cubs have ever scored in an Opening Day game. No Sammy, no Moises Alou, no Tuffy!
5:08 -- Chicago to Pittsburgh for $29 each way on Southwest Airlines? That's insane. Levi and Stacey, you should visit Stephanie Losi sometime (she's going to be attending Carnegie Mellon starting in the fall).
5:15 -- Surely by now, director Arne Harris has gotten a camera shot of every single person in the Bank One Ballpark stands who's wearing Cubs apparel (or University of Illinois apparel)!
5:16 -- I stand corrected.
5:19 -- Wow, the Cubs only got one hit in the top of the 9th!
5:20 -- A promo for something called "Ultimate Arena Paintball," a Superstation WGN Original Production. Although I've never done it, I can see how participating in paintball yourself would be fun, but watching other people do it, as on this upcoming program, looks horribly boring.
5:24 -- Oh, Shawn Green, why are you prolonging the agony by getting a hit?
5:25 -- Oh, Chad Tracy, ditto.
5:26 -- "This is the only big league game still under way today." Yeah, no kidding.
5:27 -- Suddenly, it's 16-6. D-backs are coming back!
5:28 -- Wait, no, they're not. Matt Kata strikes out. Cubs win! Time for "Card Sharks."
And that's it. I probably won't be watching any more baseball on TV until the All-Star Game. Actually, I probably should watch a couple of Dodgers games this year, because who knows how much longer Vin Scully will be around?
thatbob: Sounds like a much better Starting Day than the one I had, watching the stupid Yankees beat up the beloved Johnny Damons.
I've never seen Robocop*, but I guess that doesn't answer your question.
(*all the way through)
Levi: I'm sure Pete Rose has eaten a salad . . . on a bet.
10:26 -- In the 2nd inning, the Detroit announcers mention Jeremy Bonderman's 14-strikeout game last year for the first time.
10:30 -- Milwaukee Brewers at Pitttsburgh Pirates (ESPN alternate feed and FSN Pittsburgh)
10:52 -- The Pirates announcers call Florida "bland." The state, that is, not the Marlins.
10:59 -- Dmitri Young of the Tigers hits his second home run. Do we have a Tuffy Rhodes in the making here?
11:00 -- New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (ESPN and FSN Ohio)
11:08 -- For some reason, Jeff Daniels is in the booth with the FSN Detroit announcers at the Tigers game.
11:12 -- One of the FSN Ohio announcers makes up a new term, referring to today as "Starting Day."
11:19 -- Hey, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, if you're going to say "let's listen to the Reds fans' reactions to Griffey coming up to bat," you should shut up for more than two seconds after you say that. I think I will eschew ESPN's coverage of this game from here on out.
11:22 -- Talking about his Tiger Stadium memories, Jeff Daniels mentions a toilet that was located out in the open in the hallway leading to the visitors' dugout. He says he was thinking about all the greats who had used it in the past, such as Joe DiMaggio, the one time he got to use it.
11:30 -- Adam Dunn of the Reds hits one to right field. It's going, it's going -- and suddenly, my TiVo switches to GSN to record "Card Sharks" as a suggestion. This is strange for two reasons: first, it's not supposed to try recording a suggestion if you've been watching live TV; second, "Card Sharks" is already being recorded on the other tuner. This isn't something I have to deal with often because I so rarely watch live TV, so it takes me longer than it should to make sure that I'm canceling the suggestion recording, not the recording I had actually set up.
11:33 -- Dmitri Young gets hit by a pitch. He's no Tuffy, I guess, but then, who is?
11:51 -- The Tigers can get Jeff Daniels, but all they can get on FSN Pittsburgh during the Pirates game is some executive from PNC Bank.
11:59 -- Saltines and Easy Cheese: snack of champions!
Noon -- Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies (not available on DirecTV, so this is the last you're going to hear about this game)
Noon -- Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
Noon -- Oakland A's at Baltimore Orioles (FSN Bay Area)
12:09 -- Historic video from 1994 on FSN Ohio: Pedro Martinez, then of the Expos, plunking Reggie Sanders of the Reds, thus ending a perfect game, and Sanders charging the mound.
12:11 -- Orioles Rodrigo Lopez and Javy Lopez's uniforms both say just "Lopez," no first initials.
12:22 -- Sammy Sosa! What's he doing here in Baltimore? Not hitting a home run, at this point.
12:32 -- Comcast SportsNet "forgot" to take their logo off the screen during a commercial.
12:34 -- Pedro Martinez records his 10th strikeout, to make this the 100th double-digit-strikeout game of his career. Who does he think he is, Jeremy Bonderman?
12:42 -- Dmitri Young hits his third home run! He's Tuffy after all!
12:49 -- Comcast SportsNet's audio level is lower than all the other channels, so I have to ride the volume on my remote when I switch to and from the Indians-White Sox game.
12:56 -- The P.A. announcer at Great American Ball Park announces Pedro Martinez's 100th pitch -- that's the first time I've ever heard that.
12:59 -- The Royals-Tigers game seems to have ended while I wasn't paying attention.
1:00 -- Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Devil Rays (FSN Florida)
1:00 -- San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (FSN Rocky Mountain)
1:00 -- The pre-produced opening for the Devil Rays game doesn't mention Alex Sanchez. (Although they probably talked about him ad nauseam on the pregame show. But pregame shows aren't included in the MLB Extra Innings package.)
1:05 -- Don Zimmer is introduced as the Devil Rays' Senior Baseball Advisor, "in his 57th major league season."
1:08 -- Yes, there are other teams that wear vest-style uniform shirts (Royals, Rockies, etc.), but only the Devil Rays manage to make them look like The Uniform of the Future.
1:13 -- FSN Florida, a television network that's located in the United States, is actually showing the singing of "O Canada" on TV! Lots of Canadians in Florida at this time of year who might protest if they didn't, I guess.
1:21 -- The turf at Tropicana Field still looks awful on TV. It doesn't help that the other games so far today are all taking place under brilliant sunshine.
1:27 -- And Tropicana Field has plenty of good seats available, as usual.
1:34 -- FSN Pittsburgh is showing fans streaming out of PNC Park and over the bridge, so I guess that game is over.
1:40 -- The Devil Rays' slogan this year, to try to get people to buy tickets to games, appears to be "Watch It Happen," which I guess is slightly better than "Come In Out of the Rain."
1:43 -- I flip to FSN Ohio and see Pete Rose eating a salad in a commercial for local Cincinnati fast-food chain Gold Star Chili. For some reason, I doubt that Pete Rose has ever eaten a salad in real life.
1:50 -- The A's announcers are talking about a USA Today survey of players and coaches that rated the field at McAfee Coliseum the best in the American League. McAfee? What happened to Network Associates? I can't keep all these corporate names straight.
1:54 -- "Devil Rays baseball on FSN Florida is brought to you in part by Quikrete concrete products," presumably because Tropicana Field is made entirely of Quikrete.
2:00 -- Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks (ESPN 2 and WGN)
2:00 -- Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (ESPN 2 alternate feed)
2:02 -- While flipping channels, I stumble across the Padres-Rockies game, which I swear wasn't listed in the DirecTV on-screen schedule as of 9:58 A.M. It's already 4-3, in the bottom of the 3rd.
2:05 -- Make that 6-3.
2:09 -- Meanwhile, the Devil Rays are down 3-1 on back-to-back homers.
2:11 -- The FSN Florida announcers, referring to Manitoba native Corey Koskie: "That ball had a lot of English on it, even though it was hit by a Canadian."
2:20 -- I switch to the Cubs-Diamondbacks game on ESPN 2 and think I see a WGN banner, so I check, and it turns out it's on WGN, too, which I didn't check beforehand. There's baseball on lots of channels!
2:30 -- I notice that DirecTV's description of the Blue Jays-Devil Rays game ends with the statement "game may be subject to blackouts in Toronto and Tampa Bay." I guarantee that anyone watching on DirecTV in Toronto is not being blacked out, since everyone watching on DirecTV in Toronto has given DirecTV a fake address somewhere in the U.S. (and since FSN Florida is what the Tampa Bay area is "supposed" to be getting, it's not being blacked out there, either).
2:34 -- Train whistles: one of the best things about watching a Mariners game.
2:46 -- The ad on the rotating board behind the home plate at Tropicana Field is for the radio station that's now carrying the games. Actually, I should put that another way: it's for the radio station that the Devil Rays are paying to carry their games. That's how woeful they are.
2:51 -- Superstation WGN's big Tuesday night movie this week is "Robocop." Hasn't everyone in the world with any interest in this movie seen it by now?
2:52 -- The Cubs are up 7-0 in the 2nd inning. Sammy who?
2:56 -- The facial hair configuration currently being sported by Toby Hall of the Devil Rays is described as "a small marsupial on his chin."
2:58 -- For the Cubs-Diamondbacks game, ESPN 2 has a beautiful, crisp picture. On Superstation WGN, the game looks like it's coming through Saran Wrap coated in Vaseline.
3:03 -- Guess the Touchstone Pictures marketing people decided not to try to sell "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" as a comedy in the TV ads (as opposed to the theatrical trailer I saw yesterday, which did make it look like it at least has certain comic elements).
3:07 -- I've been forgetting about the Padres-Rockies game, which is now 8-8 in the 6th inning. In fact, just as I flip, one of the announcers calls it "another Coors Field special."
3:15 -- In honor of the Opening Day action, I drink Cherry Coke out of an old Cubs souvenir cup.
3:20 -- The roof is being closed in Seattle even though it still looks sunny, which leads to a long discussion by the ESPN 2 Alternate Announcers on why they might be closing it. I change channels before the serious conspiracy theories can get started.
3:25 -- I see the Mets-Reds final score; looks like the Reds came back to win 7-6 after being down 6-3. In hindsight, I guess should have watched more of that game after Pedro Martinez left.
3:34 -- The Padres' sand-colored away uniforms look weird for the second year in a row.
3:39 -- The Devil Rays lose their opening game for the first time since 1999. Yes, really -- it's been the other 161 games they've had the most trouble with.
3:43 -- On the Padres-Rockies game, a 6-year-old boy is being interviewed in the stands: "Don't you have school today?" "No." "Why not?" "I'm homeschooled!"
3:59 -- The Diamondbacks still have those unexplained hot-air-balloon-shaped patches on their sleeves.
4:05 -- The FSN Rocky Mountain announcers say they're about to show a graphic with some startling statistics. When the graphic comes up, it's not all that startling; it shows that, at Coors Field, since 2003, the Padres have scored a lot more runs against the Rockies from the 9th inning on (37) than the Rockies have scored against the Padres (3). Trevor Hoffman is the big reason for the disparity. This is important because it's 10-8 in favor of the Padres in the bottom of the 8th.
4:07 -- For the first time since 10:30, I can't flip channels to avoid a commercial; all three games still going on are in a break simultaneously.
4:08 -- The problem with flipping between games is that you miss things; the Cubs announcers say something about Victor Zambrano being ejected.
4:15 -- And I flip back to the Cubs-Diamondbacks game just in time to see Derrek Lee hit a 3-run homer, and to finally hear the name of the WGN announcer whose voice I don't recognize (i.e., the one who's not Bob Brenly). It's Len Kasper -- who?
4:25 -- Despite Trevor Hoffman being on the mound, the Rockies tie their game at 10 in the bottom of the 9th.
4:26 -- And Trevor Hoffman is still on the mound when Clint Barmes hits a 2-run walk-off homer; Rockies win, 12-10.
4:35 -- The Twins-Mariners game goes final, with Seattle winning 5-1.
4:38 -- The Cubs go up 14-3 on a 2-run homer by Aramis Ramirez. Do I really have to watch the rest of this?
4:43 -- Superstation WGN ends a promo with a dig at TBS's slogan, referring to themselves as "where comedy isn't just very funny, it's super funny." This would be more piquant if it weren't a promo for "Will & Grace."
4:50 -- I take advantage of a commercial break and check my e-mail. My father informs me that at one point this afternoon, the headline on ESPN.com was "Dmitri Young, meet Tuffy Rhodes."
4:56 -- The Cubs get their 20th hit, and it's "only" the top of the 8th, with no outs.
4:57 -- Hit number 21, and it's 15-5.
4:59 -- 16-5. It's the most runs the Cubs have ever scored in an Opening Day game. No Sammy, no Moises Alou, no Tuffy!
5:08 -- Chicago to Pittsburgh for $29 each way on Southwest Airlines? That's insane. Levi and Stacey, you should visit Stephanie Losi sometime (she's going to be attending Carnegie Mellon starting in the fall).
5:15 -- Surely by now, director Arne Harris has gotten a camera shot of every single person in the Bank One Ballpark stands who's wearing Cubs apparel (or University of Illinois apparel)!
5:16 -- I stand corrected.
5:19 -- Wow, the Cubs only got one hit in the top of the 9th!
5:20 -- A promo for something called "Ultimate Arena Paintball," a Superstation WGN Original Production. Although I've never done it, I can see how participating in paintball yourself would be fun, but watching other people do it, as on this upcoming program, looks horribly boring.
5:24 -- Oh, Shawn Green, why are you prolonging the agony by getting a hit?
5:25 -- Oh, Chad Tracy, ditto.
5:26 -- "This is the only big league game still under way today." Yeah, no kidding.
5:27 -- Suddenly, it's 16-6. D-backs are coming back!
5:28 -- Wait, no, they're not. Matt Kata strikes out. Cubs win! Time for "Card Sharks."
And that's it. I probably won't be watching any more baseball on TV until the All-Star Game. Actually, I probably should watch a couple of Dodgers games this year, because who knows how much longer Vin Scully will be around?
Original comments...
thatbob: Sounds like a much better Starting Day than the one I had, watching the stupid Yankees beat up the beloved Johnny Damons.
I've never seen Robocop*, but I guess that doesn't answer your question.
(*all the way through)
Levi: I'm sure Pete Rose has eaten a salad . . . on a bet.
Labels: directv, Opening Day
Thursday, April 15, 2004
"Things we should have thought of", or "Pat and Ron, Nor DNA Tap"
On the WGN Radio broadcast of today's Cubs game, Pat Hughes thanked a listener for sending him and color man Ron Santo a book of palindromes. "Well be getting to that later on," Pat said. I can't think of a better gift for those two.
Now we get to see how Luke spells a weary groan in the comments.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, here's Ron Santo on the Opening Day weather (This is from memory, so it's not exact): "I remember Opening Day back in 1997 was so cold I couldn't feel my toes. Of course, I can't feel my toes today, either."
Luke, hanger-on: !OooooooooO!
Steve: "Florida Marlins 4, Chicago Cubs 2 Day Game Played on Tuesday, April 1, 1997 (D) at Pro Player Stadium"
That must have been a cold day in Miami.....
Luke: Heh. Clearly Levi is remembering this cold day and this humbling loss to the Marlins. Low of 24, gusts up to 31 mph! My first Opening Day, and I think the first time I met Jim.
Levi: How embarrassing. Luke and Steve are right. I had the wrong week. By the time we saw the Cubs for the first time that year, they were already something like 0-6.
Steve will remember attending this game with me two days later. I remember the heaping plate of futility that Alex Fernandez served the Cubs that day, but I was surprised to learn it was so cold. I guess when you go into a game expecting a no-hitter and you come very close to seeing one, you don't notice that you don't notice your feet.
Levi: Also, if you look at that box score, you'll see that "third baseman" Bobby Bonilla had already committed three errors.
Jim: And from today's L.A. Times: "On this day in 1997, the Chicago Cubs set the mark for the worst start in National League history, losing their 12th consecutive game, 4-0 to the Colorado Rockies, and breaking the record of 11 losses in a row by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines."
Ah, yes, that was the trip to Chicago where I had some sort of 24-hour stomach flu and spent the first day on the floor of Stacey and Nikki's dorm room (although if you're going to have stomach flu, Stacey and Nikki's dorm room is a pretty good place to have it). Perhaps I caught the virus from the Cubs as they were leaving Miami, flying over Florida a few days before I followed them up north.
The secondary purpose of that trip was to meet up with some game show fans I knew from the Internet, and I was supposed to go with them to another Cubs game that week that ended up being snowed out.
Now we get to see how Luke spells a weary groan in the comments.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, here's Ron Santo on the Opening Day weather (This is from memory, so it's not exact): "I remember Opening Day back in 1997 was so cold I couldn't feel my toes. Of course, I can't feel my toes today, either."
Original comments...
Luke, hanger-on: !OooooooooO!
Steve: "Florida Marlins 4, Chicago Cubs 2 Day Game Played on Tuesday, April 1, 1997 (D) at Pro Player Stadium"
That must have been a cold day in Miami.....
Luke: Heh. Clearly Levi is remembering this cold day and this humbling loss to the Marlins. Low of 24, gusts up to 31 mph! My first Opening Day, and I think the first time I met Jim.
Levi: How embarrassing. Luke and Steve are right. I had the wrong week. By the time we saw the Cubs for the first time that year, they were already something like 0-6.
Steve will remember attending this game with me two days later. I remember the heaping plate of futility that Alex Fernandez served the Cubs that day, but I was surprised to learn it was so cold. I guess when you go into a game expecting a no-hitter and you come very close to seeing one, you don't notice that you don't notice your feet.
Levi: Also, if you look at that box score, you'll see that "third baseman" Bobby Bonilla had already committed three errors.
Jim: And from today's L.A. Times: "On this day in 1997, the Chicago Cubs set the mark for the worst start in National League history, losing their 12th consecutive game, 4-0 to the Colorado Rockies, and breaking the record of 11 losses in a row by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines."
Ah, yes, that was the trip to Chicago where I had some sort of 24-hour stomach flu and spent the first day on the floor of Stacey and Nikki's dorm room (although if you're going to have stomach flu, Stacey and Nikki's dorm room is a pretty good place to have it). Perhaps I caught the virus from the Cubs as they were leaving Miami, flying over Florida a few days before I followed them up north.
The secondary purpose of that trip was to meet up with some game show fans I knew from the Internet, and I was supposed to go with them to another Cubs game that week that ended up being snowed out.
Labels: Opening Day, pat hughes, ron santo
Monday, April 05, 2004
Notes from Opening Day
- The best thing I saw was the Royals getting two home runs in the bottom of the 9th to win.
- The worst thing I saw was Joe Buck sucking up to George W. Bush in a pre-game on-field interview, although as it turns out, during the game, he's a lot more tolerable when teamed up with Al Hrabosky than when teamed up with Tim McCarver.
- The Padres' road uniforms are sand-colored. Hey, the name of the city isn't Sand Diego!
- Wow, the Dodgers looked even more mediocre than I thought they'd be, if such a thing is possible. How can you get only 2 runs out of 15 hits?
- The Steak 'n' Shake commercials during the Cardinals game were more mouth-watering than the Gold Star Chili and Frisch's Big Boy commercials during the Reds game.
- DirecTV had two MLB Extra Innings promos that they were playing during every "local" commercial break, one with Albert Pujols and one with Johnny Damon. The Pujols one was running a lot more often, I assume because the other one doesn't reflect Damon's current facial hair configuration.
- Incessantly promoted by the various Fox Sports Nets: the Yankees vs. Red Sox on Fox, the broadcast network, on Friday night, April 16th. I do enjoy the concept of national baseball telecasts (although it helps when they don't involve the Yankees), but this can only mean that certain executives at Fox have thrown up their hands when it comes to attempting to schedule programming on Friday night. This is what America gets for not immediately embracing "Wonderfalls."
- Kosher-for-Passover Coke has a weird aftertaste if, like me, you're used to regular made-with-corn-syrup Coke.
- Hooray, Tigers! Hooray, Pirates!
Turns out six hours of watching baseball on TV, much of which includes trying to follow several games at once, is a little too much for me.
Labels: Opening Day
