Opinion

I wouldn't want to be a Los Angeles Dodger fan for a variety of reasons, mainly because I've lived in San Francisco or its suburbs for most of the last 22 years. As such, I'm a die-hard fan of the Giants and I loathe the Bums.

At this particular moment, however, I wouldn't want to follow the beautiful Dodger blue for one, specific reason: the national media is setting them up for a fall. They're being sacrificed at the altar of commerce and wishful thinking is taking the place of objective analysis to do the job.

Mat Gamel or Matt LaPorta? That was the question facing Milwaukee Brewers' GM Doug Melvin last season when it became clear that the Brewers were the front runner to obtain pitcher CC Sabathia.

Melvin and the Indians agreed to send Matt LaPorta to Cleveland and the Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. Mat Gamel, along with Alcides Escobar, became 1A and 1B in the farm system's top prospect ratings.

Some place. Carlos Beltran if he is watching the postseason games the least he would like to listen is anything about his New York Mets.

What if this. What if that. What if they had made it to the postseason? Probably nowadays instead of a possible LA Freeway Series most fans would be talking about a Subway Series.

And so it begins!

The immovable object meets the unstoppable force, setting up a seven game series that epitomizes baseball, especially playoff baseball.

Joe Torre and The Los Angeles Dodgers will host Charlie Manuel and The Philadelphia Phillies in not only a National League showdown, not only a rematch of last year’s NLCS, but meeting number five all-time between these storied clubs.

I understand that it’s time for changes in the Houston Astros clubhouse.

But that doesn’t mean removing an icon and legend like Jose Cruz from the mix.

This latest move by the higher ups in Houston baffles me; do they really think it’s Cruz’s fault that players aren’t hustling down the first base line?

Why, exactly, are the Astros taking Cruz out of the coaching puzzle and offering him a position else where in the organization?

Am I missing something here?

Article originally posted on www.stadiumjourney.com

Miller Park is such an improvement over County Stadium that it’s hard to know where to begin.  First of all, having a retractable roof was a great idea and something that Minnesota fans will be envious of in the years to come.

Additionally, the Brewers organization has made an effort to make the experience at Miller Park as fan-friendly as possible, whether you are a kid, a casual baseball fan, or an ardent baseball fan.  All fans will have fun at Miller Park.

Rumors are swirling around Chicago that the Cubs, who fired two hitting coaches during the 2009 season, have strong interest in former Texas Rangers coach Rudy Jaramillo.

Jaramillo's resume stands on its own merits. During his 10-year tenure in Texas, 17 Rangers won Silver Slugger Awards. He gets a lot of the credit for the Rangers being an offensive powerhouse over the last decade.

But my interest in this rumor is deeper than a great hitting coach being available...

Article originally posted at www.stadiumjourney.com

Fenway Park

Fenway. The name alone is imbued with an incredible mix of history, heartache and, at long last, success.

It has been exactly 14 years and six days since that fateful evening in October when the Mariners toppled the mighty New York Yankees to advance to the 1995 American League Championship Series.

Following the infamous Game Three baserunning error, Nick Punto may be one of the most hated men in Minnesota. He ignored the (possibly late) stop signal from third-base coach Scott Ullger in favor of the roaring crowd. Punto probably ended up costing the Twins a run in that fateful Game Three, which ended up being the last of 2009, and the last in Metrodome history.

But that one mistake cannot replace a surprisingly solid season from the veteran utility infielder.