Opinion

Joe West is regularly one of my least favorite umpires. He’s like that teacher you had in school who is ridiculously strict about everything you do, but cannot do those same things himself.

West complains about long game times, and then calls the Sox-Yankees game “pathetic and embarrassing,” going on to say that they were “a disgrace to baseball.”

Laugh with me.

Red Sox and Yankees are a disgrace to baseball? OK. So the two best teams in the league are what’s disgracing it?

I’m back.  It feels good.  As  you have probably gathered, I have been a bit too busy to keep up with the site.  However, I’m going to try and do my best from this point on out.

As I write here on early Sunday afternoon, OUR Detroit Tigers sit at the top of the AL Central standings (with those pesky Twins) with a record of 4-1.  I have only been able to watch a little bit so far, but here are some of my thoughts after going through the ol’ rotation once…

As the Giants were going into the ninth inning of what would be their first loss, I told my son something:

"I would just like to see them go out fighting."

I've supported this team for four decades and have remained optimistic, but with Saturday's score 7-1 and just three outs left to do anything about it, I had serious doubts.

Despite the expected loss, I did end up getting what I'd hoped for, a fight. It came in the form of a walk and two singles, the second of which produced a run.

Oh. Oh. Charlie Morton can't pitch at night. That was the sinking feeling I got shortly after releasing the last piece about Morton's SOMETIMES stellar pitching. I almost wanted to take it back.

"Sometimes," actually held true for about two innings, probably as long as the sun was in the sky. Morton got five of his first six outs on strikeouts, and six of his first eight. Those are numbers any pitcher can be proud of.

“Now this is what it’s like when worlds collide”

-Powerman 5000

That’s a fitting line from a mediocre band that I normally don’t like enough to be quoting.

I actually don’t like them at all, but I remembered hearing that line in a song growing up. I googled it, and here we are with that for the introduction to an article.

I spent last night drinking at a house where seemingly everyone was in a death metal band but me. And that’s not even the reference for which the lyric was included.

Coco Cordero is already in mid-season form.

Wait a minute, that is not a good thing, at least not in my mind.

As he did countless times last year, he was called on in the ninth to protect a lead, this time two runs.

He pitched horribly and yet was rewarded with a save. Show me some justice!

If you check the box score you will see his line is anything but good. One inning, one earned run, three hits and a home run. The game ended with the bases loaded.

Typically, a new stadium attracts the unknown. People go there for the curiosity factor.

Many baseball teams opened up new stadiums since the earlier 90s. We have seen plenty of more in the last few years.

Last year, a couple of New York baseball teams opened up new playpens. On Monday, the Twins open up their brand new stadium. In a few years, the Marlins will play in their new stadium.

The 2010 season is underway, and after four games decided by one run, the Orioles begin the season with a 1-3 record.

Despite two heartbreaking collapses by Mike Gonzalez, the Orioles have to be reasonably satisfied with their offseason additions.

Garrett Atkins is hitting .375 with three RBI through four games, and Miguel Tejada celebrated his homecoming to Camden Yard by going 3-for-5 for four RBI. Matt Wieters has delivered early in the season, and looks focused on proving his late-season success was no fluke. So far, he is 6-for-14 with two RBI.

Currently four games into the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are looking good, very good.

Just about everything looks great. The starting rotation seems to really have been positively affected by the presence of stud Roy Halladay. Further, Cole Hamels looks like he may be back on track, Kyle Kendrick had a decent outing, and J.A. Happ has picked up right where he left off last season. The starting rotation will only be better when Joe Blanton returns.

The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers were one of baseball’s greatest teams.