I Fail To Find This Funny

Seriously, I don't. What the flipping hell is wrong with the offense? We get schooled by Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer, and Brad Thompson. Then we get home and get REALLY schooled in front of a sold-out home crowd by the team we beat to win the NL pennant last year. Yeah, 4 games and there are how many to go? 158? I really think it's perfectly fine if we just sped up to the good part of this season, whenever the hell that feels like arriving. Redman was Redman, Holliday struck out 4 times, Tulo made an error and was saved from another by a charitable call from the blue. 8-1 is your final and I am not the happiest girl in the world right now; in fact that is a bit of an understatement and I know that that is a problem. Seeing as there are a damn lot of games left to go and it's going to hurt if this keeps up for even a few more days -- I have learned from past experience that I cannot go numb. I want last year's opening day loss -- we permitted the D-backs eight runs but at least we scored six.

1-3 and we look like crap. Can't hit, have a suspect starting rotation, and yeah. They're too good to be this bad forever but damn, it hurts when it does. And I think that my masochism switch is even more broken than usual, because I just sat through that whole fucking charade until the end. Somebody please find me a new hobby, at least one that will occupy two weeks and give me a chance to come back to my team when they look like a team.

I'd like a win tomorrow, but a win would involve scoring runs. I don't believe such a thing exists. Unicorns and Santa Claus, baby.

I'm now going to go do my poli-sci midterm, which sounds assloads more fun than what I just put myself through.

That Is More Like It

Tulo thinks so too. Surprisingly enough, things went swimmingly tonight (well, almost, seeing as the offense sucked out loud). Kip Wells, of all people, turned in a solid effort against his former team -- 5.1 innings and 1 run, a solo shot by the guy on his face up there, Molina. New lefty setup guy Bowie got a key double play, Taylor Buchholz put two guys on but got a strikeout to end the seventh, Fuentes (SHOCKINGLY!) whipped through a spotless eighth inning, and Manny set down the Cards with similar ease in the ninth. In the meantime, Tulo got three hits but nobody else did squat, and the Rockies had been shut out by Kyle Lohse through five innings (zouch). But in the top of the eighth, Tulo got a single, Todd hit a ground-rule double, and Matt chopped one to Troy Glaus, whose off-balance throw to the plate went for an error and allowed Tulo to score. (As you might have guessed, this is the moment shown in the charming picture above. Oh Tulo. I love you). Then, with the bases loaded after Atkins' walk, it looked as if the Rockies weren't going to score the go-ahead run -- Hawpe and Torrealba both struck out. But rookie second-sacker Jayson Nix pulled a Toddfather (a bases-loaded walk) to push the Rockies up 2-1, and that was the way it finished. 1 down, 1 win, 161 more to go, Aaron Cook vs. Todd Wellemeyer tomorrow. The Rockies got a bad game washed out, the offense sucked today, and they still won, so if they can get the offense in gear against Wellemeyer, it'd be great. (Last time they saw him it was not good, as Jason Hirsh got his butt kicked and the Cardinals broke the Rockies' seven-game win streak).

Good way to start the season, fellas. Let's do it some more.

Rainout

So yes, after storming all afternoon, today's game was officially called at 5:45 PM CT. This is kind of a relief, as the Cards were already up 5-1 and Francis looked as if his nerves were causing him to overthrow (he's probably just as happy to have the five runs and five walks expunged from the official record). The bad news: Los Kip gets his wish to be a starter, and he gets to do it against his old team, who are almost undoubtedly going to be thrilled that he's facing them instead of siphoning wins off them (I'm sure Cards fans have not forgotten the 7-17 season, including the 5-17 mark as a starter, he turned in for them just last year). Woo-hoo. I cannot summon myself to be thrilled about this prospect for obvious reasons. They really should just start Buchholz instead, but since he's gotten comfortable with the bullpen, they'll get finicky about not messing with his apparently very delicate psyche. He'll be facing Kyle Lohse at 6:15 pm CT/7:15 ET tomorrow, as the Rockies and Cardinals attempt to re-start their season, and guh yeah I cannot bring myself to liveblog a game that Kip the Gip is starting. It'll be bad enough watching it.

See you tomorrow anyway.

Liveblog: 3/31 Rockies Vs. Cardinals

Lineups in the post below. I'm all set. And psyched.

Top 1st: Wainwright vs. Taveras, Tulowitzki, Helton

Taveras:
Fastball, strike
Curveball, ball
Fastball, SINGLE! Willy!!!

Tulo:
Pickoff attempt.
Fastball, ball. High inside.
Fastball, hit a very long way... nice catch by Schumaker, robs Tulo of a double (he scorched it). Blah. 1 out.

Helton:
Pickoff attempt.
Fastball, called strike. Questionable.
PO attempt.
PO attempt. Give it up, Adam.
Changeup, and Todd whacks it! Double down the line!! Willy T to third! And here comes Matt!

Holliday:
Slider, ball 1.
Fastball, ball 2. Inside.
Curveball, ball 3. Adam is scared of Matt. With good reason.
Slider, ball 4. Bases loaded, one out. Atkins up.

Atkins:
Fastball, ball 1.
Fastball.... OH Excellent, I see in play, runs(s).... groundout, everyone moves up, Willy T scores. 1-0 Rockies! Garrett with the club's first RBI!

Hawpe:
Curveball, called strike.
Fastball, ball.
Curveball, fouled off.
Fastball, got a little under it for a fly-out. But a nice start, and we lead. HELL yeahs.

Bottom 1st: Francis vs. Schumaker, Ludwick, Pujols

Schumaker:
Ball 1.
Ball 2.
Ball 3.
Ball 4.
FRANCIS!

Ludwick:
Ball 1. Jeffrey...
Ball 2. Come on Jeff, get rid of the nerves.
Ball 3. OH COME ON! All fastballs thus far.
Ball 4. Mound visit, please!

Pujols:
Ball 1. Fastball.
Ball 2. Slider. Um, is this NukeLaLoosh or Jeff Francis?
What? A STRIKE? 2-1. 2 on. 0 out.
Fastball.... scary out. Matt catches it. 2 on, 1 out.

Glaus:
Another ball. Somebody sort Francis out.
Ball 2. Ugh. Case of the nerves. Yorvit, talk to him in between innings.
Ball 3. Oy. Slider, for a change. Yorvit is sitting on the fastball.
Ball 4... bases loaded, one out. Not good.

Ankiel:
Ball. SOMEBODY TALK TO HIM! He was so sharp all spring.
Ball 2. Why am I not surprised? You will get no calls this way, Jeff.
Ball 3. This is insane! Jeffrey! Christ!
Fouled off. 3-1.
Fouled off again. 3-2. Get out of this inning as quickly as possible...
oh fuck... in play runs....
Double. 2-1 Cards lead. Ah fuck.

Molina:
Guess what for pitch 1.
Pitch 2: Slider, fouled.
Pitch 3: Off Helton's glove, into right. 4-1. FUCK!

Izturis:
Ball.
Ball.
Called strike. Get Izturis out, he sucks.
Fouled back, fastball. 2-2.
Didn't work. Base hit to center, Adam up. Francis, come ON. Nerves or no, don't embarrass yourself.

Wainwright:
First pitch: Infield-fly popout. 2 gone.

Miles:
Curveball, called strike.
Fastball, called strike.
Slider, ball. I really rather hoped we were past all this.
Changeup, hit at Nix, flips to Tulo for the force. Thank god THAT is over with. Blech. Now that's out of your system, Francis? 4-1 Cardinals. Kip Wells was in the bullpen, you inconsiderate bastard. KIP WELLS FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Francis is usually GOOD against the Cardinals.

Top 2nd: Wainwright vs. Torrealba, Nix, Francis

Torrealba:
Fastball, swinging strike. Do not let Adam get in a groove.
Curveball, called. Eh.
Called out on a questionable "followthrough." Same old Yorvit, stupid umpires. 3-pitch K. 1 out.

Nix:
High and tight, fouled off. 0-1.
Curveball, ball 1.
Low, ball 2.
Pops out on a slider, 2 outs. This is the weak part of the lineup, but still.

Francis:
Redeem yourself, buster.
Ball 1, fastball.
Called strike.
Fouled off.
Curveball misses low, ball 2. 2-2.
Reached a little outside, fouled off. Count holds.
Slider, misses inside. 3-2. You need this kind of inning too, Jeff. That is, a fast one.
Seventh pitch.... taps softly to Adam, who throws to Pujols for the force. Ulp.

Bottom 2nd: Francis vs. Schumaker, Ludwick, Pujols

How about a re-do? EH?

Schumaker:
Ball 1. Nope. Same old same old. This may be a loooong game.
Fastball, in there for (don't faint) a strike.
Changeup, outside corner. Schumaker swings and fails to come up with it. Nice.
Grounded to Todd. That's more like it. 1 out.

Ludwick:
Ball. Maybe. I take leave to doubt it, but Francis has given the ump no reason to be generous.
Grounded to Atkins, 2 outs. Much more like it, yes.

Pujols:
A FIRST PITCH STRIKE WHATNOW
So he follows it up with a ball. 1-1.
Urp. Pujols homer. 5-1.

Glaus:
Ball.
Fastball fouled off. 1-1.
Fastball, ball.
Swinging strike. 2-2.
Ball, way inside. Full count. Jeff needs to shake this one off posthaste.
Fouled. Francis already at 50 pitches. Gadzoinks.
Misses with a changeup. Glaus walks. Four walks. Fuck.

Ankiel:
Called strike 1.
Fastball fouled off. 0-2.
Ball in the dirt. Yorvit has to block. 1-2.
Fouled off, still 1-2.
Changeup, fouled off again. No out pitch today. Count the same.
Changeup fouled off again.
Fouled off AGAIN! Goddammit Ankiel, go away!
Finally. Got him fishing at a curveball, K's. Not before more damage. Urgh.

Top 3rd: Wainwright vs. Taveras, Tulowitzki, Helton

Taveras:
Ball 1. Come on guys.
Called strike.
And.... out. Another long one to Schumaker. Arrgh! You started out so well! And go away, Schumaker.

Tulowitzki:
Fastball, ball
And... base hit to left. Take that, Schumaker. Let's get something going. Tulo on first, Todd up.

Helton:
Fastball down the pipe fouled off.
High up... and Todd's out. Popped out. 2 out. Tulo on first.

Holliday:
Please continue your reputation as a Cardinals-killer.
Ball, away. 1-0.
Ball, outside. 2-0.
Fastball down Broadway, Matt looks at it. 2-1.
High and tight, watch it there. 3-1.
Pickoff attempt. I wonder if Tulo's planning to run on Molina...
He is. Tulo steals, Matt swings through one. 3-2, Tulo on second.
And... called strike 3 on the hook. I am pretty peeved right now.

5-1 Cardinals.

Bottom 3rd: LaLoosh vs. Molina, Izturis, Wainwright

Molina:
Curveball strike 1. LaLoosh can do it too. Maybe.
Ball. Or not. 1-1
Fouled off. 1-2.
High and inside. 2-2.
Fouled off. Count leveled.
Flied out to Brad. 1 out.

Izturis:
Curveball, not close, ball 1. Seriously Nuke, Izturis sucks.
Two more of the same, except fastballs, bring it to 3-0. Good God, Nuke.
Gets the inside corner for 3-1.
Ball. Another fucking walk. 5 on the day for "Game 1 of the Series" Jeff Francis. I don't like this version. Why is it that the teams I root for never win on Opening Day?

Wainwright:

Never mind, rain delay. Please wash this one out.

Lineups: Colorado Rockies Vs. St. Louis Cardinals

LINEUPS!

Willy Taveras, CF
Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Todd Helton, 1B
Matt Holliday, LF
Garrett Atkins, 3B
Brad Hawpe, RF
Yorvit Torrealba, C
Jayson Nix, 2B
Jeff Francis, P

Skip Schumaker, LF
Ryan Ludwick, RF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Troy Glaus, 3B
Rick Ankiel, CF
Yadier Molina, C
Cesar Izturis, SS
Adam Wainwright, P (Yes, one of LaRussa's funny ideas. Adam is a good hitter though)
Aaron Miles, 2B

Pregame festivities going on now. I am sadly TV-less, so it'll be Gameday and Purple Row for me. And here. I CANNOT EFFIN WAIT.

LET'S GO ROCKIES!!!!

Around the Horn: Bench

I am back in New York on a gray, chilly Monday to finish out my sophomore year of college and (presumably) actually get some work done in achieving this. Further proving how starved for baseball I am, I seriously got impatient last night waiting for the Nationals/Braves game to kick off. I have zero emotional connection to either of the teams, AND I wasn't even watching on TV, I was resorting to my usual standard of Gameday. But I followed the damn thing, Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off homer to beat the Braves, christen new Nationals Park, and no doubt make all the Mets fans in this city who virulently hate the Braves very happy. But now it is time for real Rockies baseball, and I am bouncing myself off the hook waiting for 4:15 pm ET this afternoon (but once they get all the ceremonies done, probably more like 4:30 or so). In which the Rockies open their title defense in St. Louis against the Cards and Adam Wainwright (and yes, I still love him. And yes, I want the Rockies to sweep the Cards to get 2008 started right, as the Cards are kind of sad-sack this year and I'll root for them when they are not playing the Blake Street Sweepers. Like last year, I will likely be live-blogging the game and posting on Purple Row, so if you have to know second by second what's going on, I will have you covered).

In the meantime, I'm going to close out the team previews at the eleventh hour with a look at our bench. Scott Podsednik was officially named the fifth outfielder, Cory Sullivan got demoted to AAA yet again, and Ramon Ramirez got traded to the Royals for a Player To Be Named Later (who is a popular fellow). So, it's time to see who will be constituting the backup corps for the purple pinstripes, and Clint Barmes made it. Zoyyy.

Projected

OF Ryan Spilborghs
OF Scott Podsednik
OF/IF Jeff Baker
IF Clint Barmes
C Chris Iannetta

#19 R/R Ryan Spilborghs: Spilly, as he's affectionately known, is about as valuable and offbeat as fourth outfielders come. A colorful character who experiments with crazy hairdos and clothing, has his own TV segment on Rockies All Access, and otherwise is as outgoing and exuberant as he looks, Spilly is the life of the party and readily submits to all the (good-natured) ribbing he endures from his teammates (although not without giving as good as he gets). Spilly is a naturally funny person who can make comedy out of any situation, and people like him are good for the chemistry and to balance out the intense leader-types like Tulo, Matt, and Todd. Your basic clubhouse clown (he bought dancing robots last year) Spilly is also an extremely good option to have as a backup outfielder. Last time this season, I was kvetching, with just cause, that his talents were wasted in the Springs and Steve Finley was going to suck; I was proved quite right in this instance. Fortunately, they saw the light and promoted Spilly in May, and as far as I'm concerned, they need to keep him around -- they actually released him on December 21, 2005, and then immediately realizing their mistake, signed him back the same day. Spilly loves Denver, and has moved his entire family (mom, dad, and sister) with him from Santa Barbara so his mom can get the best medical treatment available. Fortunately, Denver loves him too; I've yet to find a Rockies fan that doesn't adore Spilly, and if they don't, then ignore the poltroon. They love his zaniness, or his ability to provide a spark, or generally the fact that he's the sort of guy you spend a long time recounting assorted off-the-wall stories about. (His debut on Rockies All Access this past week was a hit, especially when he, quote unquote, decides to "cook" Atkins' steak).

He's also an entertainment coordinator who bridges the gaps between players and organizes activities in all the cities the team goes to, so they don't just have to sit around the hotel waiting for the game to start. To wit:

“I know everyone here pretty well, so I’m always grabbing different people,” Spilborghs said. “I drag people to do stuff that they’re not going to do. We have a lot of fun.”

Like on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Spilborghs convinced Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki, to name a few, to go on a trek that wound through the city and visited different historical sites.

Baker and Jeff Francis were sitting at a Boston restaurant when they heard the group just before they rounded a corner.

“Spilly’s yelling at Tulo, Tulo’s yelling at Holliday, Holliday’s yelling at Atkins and me and Francis are dying laughing,” Baker said. “It was something I’ll never forget.”

(Not to mention that as inducement, Spilly promised everyone he'd buy them something every time they complained and they'd get ice cream at the end. He does know how to hold an audience).

The Rockies are eying the idea of using Spilly as their backup leadoff man, to keep Willy T fresh and to continue to provide a reliable catalyst at the top of the lineup. If Spilly's performance after he was called up in May and asked to do just that is any indication, they're in good hands. After Finley finally received his long-overdue walking papers, Spilly hit .310 in 22 at-bats in May, with 3 doubles and 5 RBI (I believe he got three of them in something like his first game, immediately surpassing Finley's total for the season). He kept humming right along in June, hitting .308 with 2 doubles, 3 HR, and 14 RBI for the month, but he really took off in July -- he hit .353 for the month, with 4 HR and 18 RBI, including a grand slam against the Mets on July 3 in a game that the Rockies won 11-3. When he was expected to take over full-time duty in August, Spilly scuffled slightly, as he hit only .250 for August with 3 HR and 8 RBI, but recovered in September alongside everyone else to hit .322 and play his part in guiding the team to a rampaging regular-season finish. Home or away didn't make a significant difference, as Spilly hit. 311 at Coors Field for the year and .290 on the road. Most importantly, he's also a major threat against lefties (.356) which was why he got a significant amount of platoon time last year due to Hawpe's continuing struggles with southpaws. He doesn't possess Willy T's speed (4 SB, 1 CS, but may have more opportunities) but has much more of a power stroke and a knack for seizing a situation. Whether it's dancing robots, bad cooking, interesting facial hair, or the timely hit, Ryan Spilborghs has got you covered. If they're planning to use him to spell Willy T, we may be seeing him get more regular playing time as well.

One more thing: Last year, the Yankees tried to get Spilly (AND Frankie Morales) in exchange for (drumroll please...) Kyle Farnsworth. Aside from the fact that Farnsworth isn't worth a half of these players, let alone both of them, poor Spilly would be miserable on the "25 guys, 25 cabs" Yankees. I somehow don't think they'd take well to him trying to organize expeditions on the Freedom Trail in Boston. In other words, Spilly was born to be a Rockie and to send him anywhere else would result in deep unhappiness for all parties concerned. I love you dearly dearly, Ryan, but shave the damn beard. Bake is right, you do look like a terrorist.

2007 Line: .299 AVG, 11 HR, 51 RBI, .363 OBP, .485 SLG, .848 OPS
2008 Proj.: .292 AVG, 13 HR, 53 RBI, .371 OBP, .476 SLG, .847 OPS
INC/DEC/LEV: LEV.

#22 L/L Scott Podsednik: Podsednik will be under a microscope in a hurry while with the Rockies. He hasn't been really healthy since 2004, when he stole 70 bases for Milwaukee, and 2005, when he was a big part of the White Sox' championship run. Since then, he has undergone sports hernia surgeries at the end of three consecutive seasons, and he's taking over the place of Cory Sullivan, who's very popular in the clubhouse and a member of the Rockies fraternity that grew up together in the minor leagues. Also not to mention, the last left-handed older outfielder to be brought in from outside the organization for pinch-hit and bench help was an unqualified disaster. Also, it causes people to ask if the Rockies are a) going to disrupt their remarkable clubhouse chemistry for winning, and b) whether or not this is a bad thing, and c) whether Scott Eric Podsednik can help them do this better than Cory Sullivan. But Podsednik came in determined to prove he could once again be a difference-maker, and on the back of a .302 spring complimented by strong defense, he swayed Hurdle to give him the final spot on the Opening Day 25-man roster. Still, Sullivan is one of the Rockies' best defensive outfielders, and diving catches aren't to be confused with stellar overall defensive ability.

Podsednik is 34, so he's no spring chicken, but he will be asked to be a pinch-runner late in games, a spot starter, and a bat off the bench, and he will also need to perform these roles with a great deal more success than his unfortunate predecessor, or else find Sullivan called up to take his job again. It was a question of organizational depth as well with the Sully vs. Pods deathmatch, as if Sullivan won the job, Podsednik would have asked to be released in order to find big-league employment elsewhere -- with his age and track record, he's not a minor-league scrub. But he will have to both stay healthy and be effective for the Rockies to justify keeping him around, especially since it's already going to be such a closely scrutinized decision. He's making $750,000 to Sullivan's $1 million, and Sullivan is both a better defender and a long-standing friend of the key group, so if he doesn't show a spark off the bench, it's likely happy trails sooner rather than later. If nothing else, we can hope that the Rockies learned from the Finley disaster and are much quicker to pull the trigger this time if Podsednik goes down the drain early. Sullivan will assuredly be back up, but it's Podsednik's play that will see if that's in September when active rosters expand to 40, or much sooner due to incompetence. Pods' OBP (and stats in general) from last year are not pretty. Let's hope he doesn't repeat.

2007 Line: .243 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .299 OBP, .369 SLG, .668 OPS, 12 SB, 5 CS
2008 Proj.: .277 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI, .331 OBP, .380 SLG, .710 OPS
INC/DEC/LEV: INC, or rather, returning to slightly nearer his normal production. If he's healthy and he has Coors on his side, he could turn out to be a very underrated pickup.

#10 R/R Jeff Baker: Bake, as he's not-so-imaginatively nicknamed, plays both corner outfield and infield positions, making him a valuable weapon to have, and now that he plays second as well, you can pretty much stick him anywhere except pitcher (I'm sure he could play catcher if he put his mind to it). He hit .368 in September 2006 after his call-up, fooling some Rockies fans, myself probably included, into thinking that he was the second coming of Dante Bichette and who could play a little third and first as well. Born in Bad Kissingen, Germany (hmmm! Is this a reflection on Jeff's osculating abilities?) and growing up as the son of an Air Force father, Bake is fortunately used to bouncing around. He'll be asked to do that with the club, as he failed to lock down his part in the platoon last season due to hitting only .222; he lost all the spot starts to Sully and Spilly. He DID get a spot start on June 2 (I remember that because it was Photo Day, and I personally asked him if he was starting, as it was during Atkins' horrible slump) ... and promptly grounded into three double plays, which is never exactly the way to make a good impression. As a matter of fact, it had been almost exactly 10 years since another Rockie did it -- Eric Young on June 1, 1997 against the Marlins.

This year, he may play some outfield if Hawpe needs a little time off, and he can also spell Atkins and Helton for starts at third and first. Baker could probably be a starter elsewhere, as he's flashed a power stroke on occasion, and consistent ABs could help him rediscover it -- but he's not going to get them on this club, blocked as he is by a raft of talent ahead of him. He's also going to need to learn how to pinch-hit, as that's also what he'll be used for, and he hit a miserable 9 for 46 (.196) in PHing duty. He was briefly in the second-base derby this year, and dropped 10 pounds and worked so hard there that he now rates his best defensive position as -- yup, second base, the one he just started playing, so he can also be used in the middle infield if the rookie Nix needs an occasional break. But Bake got 26 starts last year, the fewest of anybody on the Opening Day roster, and with his positions all capably filled, he doesn't figure to see much time as a starter again this year, unless (GOD FORBID) Helton or Hawpe go down. Bake himself knows a little about going down, as I was at the August 10 game in which he got drilled in the head by a pitch from the Cubs' Jason Marquis. As I mentioned at the time, it was kind of sick -- his helmet flew off and he just lay on the ground for several minutes while I just kept saying, "Come on, Bake, come on, stand up, be okay, come on." It's never fun to see anybody take one in the noggin, but fortunately, Bake is made of tough stuff and he came away from it with only a concussion. He missed 18 games, but made it back in time for the stretch drive, and in NLDS Game 3, he had the game-winning hit. The game was tied at 1 in the bottom of the eighth, Garrett Atkins singled, and with two outs and him standing on third, Bake came off the bench to deliver the go-ahead single into right field to push the Rockies up 2-1. Three outs and Manny Corpastime later, they were headed for their first NLCS, so the Rockies faithful remember Baker affectionately for this. I also remember him affectionately because he's a very nice and funny guy who took time to chat and hang out with us at Photo Day. (I think my sister Gillian now has a small thing for him due to this). I don't think he'll be quite as bad as he was this year, but nor do I think he's particularly above-average.

2007 Line: .222 AVG, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .296 OBP, .347 SLG, .643 OPS
2008 Proj.: .260 AVG, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .315 OBP, .358 SLG, .673 OPS
INC/DEC/LEV: Very slight INC.

#12 R/R Clint Barmes: By now I am sure you all know what I think of Clint Barmes. I understand he's a very popular guy in the clubhouse, humble, good team player, and close with the rest of the guys, to which I say -- all well and good. But Clint Barmes, while being a nice guy, is shockingly atrocious at baseball. This wasn't always so -- in 2005, he was hitting .400 to start the season, had an Opening Day walk-off homer against Trevor Hoffman (the first rookie ever to hit a walk-off on Opening Day) and looked like a surefire NL Rookie of the Year and the Rockies' shortstop of the future. Then there came a small incident involving deer meat, Barmes, and a little tumble down the stairs, to which he was granted the nickname "Venison" and a sudden and unfortunate end to a promising season. The broken collarbone that resulted from this sidelined him until almost the end of 2005, and he was never the same player afterwards. Defensively, he continues to be a wiz, but he is a bona-fide black hole at the plate. He hit .320 in 25 at-bats in 2003, .282 in 71 AB in 2004, and was an AAA All-Star this year at Colorado Springs, where he went .299/11/44, but Spilly replicated that line almost exactly at the major league level and Barmes, um, did not. In 37 AB, he hit a miserable .216/0/1, and I remember precisely when this occurred (It was on August 11 against the Cubs, in a game the Rockies won 15-2, and Barmes had been put in as a late-inning sub when the Rockies began to kill the Cubs relievers. Or was that when he hit a double and scored, still to my unending surprise? Whatever, I know it was in August).

Hurdle absolutely LOVES Barmes, however (is it the first name? And I know Hurdle likes nice guys, but still.... and NO, he does not like nice guys "like that," or is it just because I have a dirty mind that I have to disclaim this?) so he made the club after the Rox traded fan-favorite Carroll, and is still (it's taking a while) proving that he can be a productive big league player. I take serious leave to doubt that this will finally unfold, and it's just a sad fact that Barmes will probably never be the player he was before the dead deer attack. Still, he'll see time as a pinch-runner, late-innings defensive sub for Atkins, and possibly one or two appearances in center field as well, a position that he started learning last year in an attempt to find more playing time. This being Barmes, he'll have to really force the issue.

2007 Line: .216 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .237 OBP, .297 SLG, .534 OPS
2008 Proj: . 224 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .282 OBP, .302 SLG, .584 OPS
INC/DEC/LEV: LEV

#20 R/R Chris Iannetta: It's been an up-and-down road to the bigs for young backup backstop Iannetta. He's looked to as the Rockies' catcher of the future, and was thought to be a potential darkhorse Rookie of the Year pick going into 2007. It didn't happen, as Iannetta struggled with growing pains that eventually led to his demotion to AAA in August; he'd hit .158 in April, .222 in May, and .250 in June, culminating with a 1-for-8 (.042) July that sealed his fate. He is a very patient hitter (at times too patient) and he'd let himself get worked too deep into pitcher's counts, therefore limiting the number of good pitches he'd see in any given at-bat. A hard and dedicated worker, the serious and intelligent Iannetta (he graduated with a math degree from UNC Chapel Hill) took the demotion and worked with it, and on his return to the big leagues, he hit .357 in August and .308 in September. Still, Dan O'Dowd publicly announced this
spring that if Iannetta didn't show something, he'd risk being sent back to the Springs and have Edwin Bellorin be the backup catcher instead. Iannetta retorted that such an idea was "dumb" and marched out to prove it, showing that catcher will be (hopefully) a position of strength. He and Yorvit hit a combined .391 in Cactus League play, and in a game I watched last week against the Brewers, Iannetta hit a homer completely OUT of the ballpark. He has the ideal body for a catcher -- short, stocky, and very strong -- so once he does figure out how to get the ball and bat into the correct angle with each other for maximum velocity, he can definitely send them a long way. (I know from personal experience that he also has very big hands. Which is good for someone supposed to catch small speeding spheroids for a living, after all).

Catchers aren't usually power hitters, but Iannetta cranked 13 in 2005 (split between Class A Modesto and AA Tulsa) and 14 in 2006 (split between Tulsa and AAA Colorado Springs) so the stroke is definitely there; it's a matter of getting the average to consistently follow. He's hit .303 in his minor league career, so it's far from impossible. Iannetta is also quite good at catching baserunners stealing, as he has a strong arm and quick reflexes, and can just fire a bullet down to second for his buddy Tulo to lay the smackdown on the thief. (This is one area in which he easily beats Yorvit). He's also a good game-caller (no matter how much the pitching staff loves Yorvit) and has become something of Cook's personal catcher, since he recognizes that Aaron can throw pitches aside from fastballs. (Iannetta was behind the dish for Cookie's 74-pitch complete game against the Padres last year). Iannetta does have someone breathing at his heels, which is unusual for a prospect, but Michael McKenry has favorably impressed the Rockies brass and will be opening the year at High-A Modesto with a chance to move up faster. Still, if this is the year Iannetta can stand up and lay claim to the starter's job, he will see much more playing time than he did last year, and move into full-time starter mode as Yorvit's contract expires at the end of '09. He's already shown what's possible, now the trick is consistency.

2007 Line: .218 AVG, 4 HR, 27 RBI, .330 OBP, .350 SLG, .680 OPS
2008 Proj.: .266 AVG, 6 HR, 36 RBI, .344 OBP, .367 SLG, .711 OPS
INC/DEC/LEV: Slight INC.

Well, now that's finished, it's a little less than two hours until the Rockies open their 2007 NL Champs defense against the 2006 NL Champs (and World Series champs, which the Rockies sadly failed to get) Cardinals. I'll post lineups as soon as I see them and will otherwise liveblog.

LET'S GO ROCKIES!

Man, it feels good to write that and have it mean something.

My Sister is a Celebrity

This year for my dad's birthday, I pulled off a major heist and managed to score him Rockies' Opening Day tickets a week before the game, five rows back in shallow left field. After debating with myself if I should go back to school a week late in order to go, I had to decide that as long as my parents are shelling out so much for my education at a prestigious private college, academia had to take precedence over athletics, as hard as that was. So my sister and dad went instead and had a great time. My sister even got featured in the Denver Post with her sign and a shit-eating grin. Check it out (it's apparently before the sign got autographed by Jason Hirsh and Jamey Carroll). I also heard that it was briefly glimpsed on TV. All this mini-attention will swell my sister's vanity, which, bless her heart, is considerable. (Click on it, it'll get bigger. The, um, picture, that is, not her ego).


More to come tonight, after everyone's actually, you know, played.

EDIT: Squeaky (her Purple Row username) also made it to ESPN under the "Photo of the Day." No shizzle. Check it out.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/daily?page=dd/070402

Just a Note

Still hate the Yanks, but this is a sad and sweet picture and I thought it deserved to be posted.

That's Melanie Lidle, wife of the late Cory, kissing her son Christopher before she threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Yanks' home opener. The team will be wearing black armbands to honor Lidle throughout the season. Dah... that's still awfully sad, I'm tearing up.

Welcome Back to the Grind

Remember that nice, long, sweet, sentimental post I wrote a couple scrolls down, exhorting the beauty of baseball and the way you care no matter what? Yeah, you remember it? Okay, well, take a pen and write on your computer screen, "AND THEN THEY ALL SUCK ON OPENING DAY AND LOSE AND ARE SCREWED FOR THE SEASON AND YOU ARE A FRICKING IDIOT FOR CARING."

Just kidding, of course. But it's been a rough intro to '07, as the Cards lost last night, the Rockies lost earlier today, and now the A's are down 4-0 in the top of the seventh after Bobby Crosby's second error of the game opened the way for a Richie Sexson bomb. Absolutely bug-crap can be prognosticated from the outcome for the first game, but it's always nice to start on a high note. The Cardinals had their chances, but Carp couldn't locate his stuff and they failed to produce in run-scoring situations, along with the fact that it seemed a number of balls bounced through for the Mets. Carpenter didn't give up an extra-base hit aside from the big early blow, Delgado's two-run double, but he was struggling with the zone all night and his curveball wasn't working for him - a depressing way to come out in their first showing as the defending champs, especially after all the hoopla at Busch earlier. Hopefully the ring ceremony on Tuesday night will light a fire under some collective rear ends and they'll win. They'd better, because Looper is up next and his former team hits him like a pinata. Then it's off to the oh-so-cozy confines of the Juice Box in Houston - none of my teams are opening on an easy schedule. Oh, April.

The A's head to Anaheim after their three-game stint in Seattle, and don't get home until April 9th to open against the White Sox - no easy going here. Danny Haren pitched very well until the sixth inning, when the wheels came off, Bobby Crosby mishandled a force-out for his second error of the game, and the Mariners ended up totaling four runs, earning Crosby the deep and easily ignited ire of A's Nation. With a flamethrowing Felix Hernandez on the mound for Seattle, it's looking grim for the A's, who usually start anemically for some perplexing reason. Trust me, it's hard to be an A's fan in April and May. In fact, I'm terrified of May, in which the A's went 7-20 in 2005 and did scarcely better in 2006 at 12-17. In other words, A's fans, fasten your crash helmets. I don't know why this team looks like it can barely hit, pitch, or field for two months before taking fire in the summertime, but that's always the case. Hang on.

The Rockies, in a game which my sister and father attended and had a grand old time, played with fire and resiliency, and generally looked good until the eighth inning, when LaTroy Hawkins, Jose Mesa v. 2.0, came in and promptly blew it, giving up 3 runs for an 8-6 Snakey Snake lead. Brad Hawpe came out of the gate on fire, finishing with a 3-for-5 day and two RBI, which came on a clutch bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the first. Todd Helton also looked more like himself than the injured, ill 2006 version. Garrett Atkins and Matt Holliday, however... a pair of MVP candidates last year, they will undoubtedly be so again this year, but they made a miserable first impression by going 0-for-5 apiece with suspect defense. Holliday mishandled a ball in left and Atkins airmailed a throw past first into the outfield, also bobbling a potential double-play ball. They live together in Spring Training, but if they also live together in the regular season, time to separate those two and get their swings back.

Aaron Cook started the game and kept putting his sinker up too high, so it would break at the belt instead of the knees. He kept loading the bases and managed to escape, but all his theatrics left him tagged with five runs through five. I'll attribute it to nerves and a league-wide malaise, as only Tom Glavine, Ben Sheets, and Aaron Harang have had stellar debuts thus far. Even the cyborg Santana's yielded three runs to the light-hitting Orioles through four. Even the Royals, in one of the shockers of the season, captured a Gil Meche vs. Curt Schilling contest 7-1, and it was Schilling who took the loss, not Meche. In other words, it IS completely impossible to predict anything from Opening Day. Everyone just wishes their team would start better.

As Athletics Nation likes to say: "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!"

Well, boys, carry on. 1 down, 161 to go. You've got a lot of grinding to do, so get with the program.

Liveblog: 4/1 Mets vs. Cards

It's 8:08 and I need the game to start. C'mon.

Top 1st - Carpenter vs. Reyes, Lo Duca, Beltran

Reyes - First pitch of '07 is a ball that just missed the bottom edge of the zone.
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch - foul
Fourth pitch - ball
Fifth pitch - groundout to Albert.

1 out, 0 on.

Lo Duca - First pitch strike.
Second pitch- ball
Third pitch - called strike
Fourth pitch - foul
Fifth pitch - foul
Sixth pitch - groundout, Kennedy to Albert.

2 out, o on.

Beltran - First pitch strike.
Second pitch - called strike. Hmm... Wainwright redux?
Third pitch - Ball
Fourth pitch - Groundout, Kennedy to Albert.

3 out.

GREAT first for Carp! Nobody got the ball in the air -- looks like the cutter and sinker are working. Let's go OFFENSE!

Bottom 1st - Glavine vs. Eckstein, Wilson, Pujols

Eckstein - First pitch to a Card this season is also a ball.
Second pitch - called strike.
Third pitch - fouled off.
Fourth pitch - A HIT!!! First base hit for the Cards this year is a single by Eckstein to center field.

1 on, o out.

Wilson - first pitch fouled off.
Second pitch - ball, just low.
Third pitch - double play, 5-4-3. I told you I don't like Wilson. At this rate, there will never be anyone on for Albert.

0 on, 2 out.

Pujols - first pitch ball
Second pitch - ball, they're careful with him. Justifiably.
Third pitch - ball. Give him something to hit!
Fourth pitch - high strike.
Fifth pitch - swinging strike on the corner.
Sixth pitch - Pujols flies out middling-deep to Beltran. Ah well, there's time.

Good first for both pitchers. We move to the second with no score.


Top 2nd - Carpenter vs. Delgado, Wright, Alou

Delgado - first pitch, fouled back.
Second pitch - ball on the inside corner.
Third pitch - flyout to RF, Wilson handles it.

0 on, 1 out.

Wright - first pitch, called strike
Second pitch - ball, low
Third pitch - groundout, Eckstein to Pujols.

o on, 2 out.

Alou - first pitch, first hit for the Mets. Single to Jimmy Edmonds in CF.

1 on, 2 out.

Green - first pitch, called strike.
Second pitch - called strike.
Third pitch - ball in the dirt.
Fourth pitch - another hit, but it's a dinky flair that shorty Eckstein should have caught if he was an inch taller. C'mon, Carp, let's not give into the unfortunate two-out runners-on situation we developed in Spring Training. First and third.

2 on, 2 out.

Valentin - first pitch, ball inside.
Second pitch, called strike.
Third pitch - ball. C'mon, blue, that was a strike. Locate, Carp.
Fourth pitch - sharp groundout to Pu, the Gold Glover. Inning over, Carp escapes with only mild difficulty.

3 out.

Bottom 2nd - Glavine vs. Rolen, Molina, Edmonds

Rolen - first pitch, ball high and tight.
Second pitch - ball low.
Third pitch - groundout, Reyes to Delgado.

o on, 1 out. C'mon, offense!

Molina - first pitch, ball, high
Second pitch - ball, high
Third pitch - flyout to Beltran. I dislike this pattern.

0 on, 2 out.

Edmonds - first pitch, called strike, nothing wrong with that one
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch - ball, just missed
Fourth pitch - called strike. Weak, Jimmy. We don't strike out looking.

3 outs. Quick inning for Glavine.

Top 3rd - Carpenter vs. Glavine, Reyes, Lo Duca

Glavine - first pitch, called strike.
Second pitch - hit? What the hell, Carpenter? No, no. Bad boy. Glavine singles. The Mets usually hit Carp well, for some reason, but the pitcher? No.

1 on, 0 out.

Reyes - first pitch, called strike. The Mets are doing a lot of looking tonight.
Second pitch - fouled away.
Third pitch - swinging strike on nasty changeup. First K of '07 for Carpenter as Reyes goes down on three.

1 on, 1 out.

Lo Duca - first pitch, ball, inside
Second pitch - ball, low
Third pitch - ball. It was not either. Get it right, blue.
Fourth pitch - called strike, inside corner.
Fifth pitch - forceout at second, Rolen to Kennedy. Glavine nabbed, Lo Duca aboard at first.

1 on, 2 out.

Beltran - first pitch, called strike. As I said. Lookers.
Second pitch - fouled away.
Third pitch - hit by pitch. What is with Carp's control? Get with the program.

2 on, 2 out (again).

Delgado - ulp. First pitch, called strike. Again.
Second pitch - Goddammit. Not good. Two-run double, both men aboard score. 2-o Mets. Eeergh. Don't like that. Taguchi, admittedly, made a big botch of the play in the outfield. I'll put some of the blame on him, but Carp's gotta make his pitches.

1 on, 2 out, 2-o Mets.

Wright - first pitch, ball.
Second pitch - out, Pujols to Carpenter. Damage done. OFFENSE! HELLO THERE!

3 out. 2-0 Mets.

Bottom 3rd - Glavine vs. Taguchi, Kennedy, Carpenter (admittedly, not an inspiring threesome, but we have to start somewhere)

Taguchi - first pitch, called strike.
Second pitch - ball, low
Third pitch - groundout, Glavine to Delgado.

1 out, 0 on. Come ON.

Kennedy - first pitch, ball, low
Second pitch - called strike down the middle
Third pitch - ball
Fourth pitch - HOLY HELL BABY! Welcome to St. Lou! Triple for Adam the Second!!

1 out, 1 on.

Carpenter - first pitch, ball, high
Second pitch, ball, off the outside corner
Third pitch, called strike
Fourth pitch - Dagnabbit, we have to get this run in. Bad bunt turns into fielder's choice, Kennedy nailed at home, Carp to first.

2 out, 1 on.

Eckstein - first pitch, called strike.
Second pitch - ball, high and outside
Third pitch - ball, in practically the same place.
Fourth pitch - Grr. The offense is a bit tepid thus far, even though the squeeze almost worked.... Eckstein flies out middling-deep to Alou.

Top 4th - Carpenter vs. Alou, Green, Valentin

Alou - first pitch, out. I like that. Flyout to Edmonds. Get it out of the air and we'll be good, Carp.

1 out, 0 on.

Green - first pitch, ball. This ump is squeezing Carp like a lemon, and I'm not the only one who noticed.
Second pitch - called strike, high in the zone.
Third pitch - ball, misses slightly high
Fourth pitch - Another bloody-goddamn-hit, single to LF. Settle down, Christopher John Carpenter. He's been dealing with traffic in every inning since the first.

1 out, 1 on.

Valentin - first pitch, hit. First and third again. Not liking what I'm seeing thus far.

1 out, 2 on.

Glavine - first pitch, ball.
Second pitch - ball. It was not! Bloody umpire!
Third pitch - sac bunt, runner advances to second.

2 out, 2 on. Again. Bad things happened last time this was the case.

Reyes - first pitch, ball, nowhere near the zone.
Second pitch - ball, again not touching the zone. CHRISTOPHER!
Third pitch - ball. I mean it Carp, this is not amusing.
Fourth pitch - called strike.
Fifth pitch - ball, walked, bases loaded, Lo Duca up. Ohhhhh shit.

3 on, 2 out. Let's focus, Carp.

Lo Duca - first pitch, ball-that-was-not. Ump still squeezing the hell out of Carp.
Second pitch - ball, off the corner. Let's not be walking in runs!
Third pitch - called strike right down the middle. Why are the Mets so damned patient this year? Scary team.
Fourth pitch - lower, fouled back. 2-2. C'mon, let's get out of this.
Fifth pitch - fouled again. Count remains leveled.
Sixth pitch - ball. Count full. Jesus H. Christ, it's too early in the season for this kind of drama.
Seventh pitch - Aw hell. I really, really don't like this. Don't make me give up on the game in the fourth. Two run single, 4-0 Mets.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Carp's ERA through 3.2 is a most un-Carp-like 9.82. I do not like the Mets. He's also thrown 74 pitches through 4.

Beltran... oh boy.
First pitch- called strike.
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - padding the lead. 5-0. I suspect that Carp's "it's like every other start" attitude may be a bit of the problem. You've got to come out with a bit more fire and passion... and now it's Delgado again. Bloody hell. Carp's ERA now 12.27. That's got to come down, man.

Delgado - first pitch, fouled
Second pitch - chased out of the zone, 0-2.
Third pitch - an out. Thank God. Carpenter, no gold star for you. I do not want to see this again. I question if LaRussa will give him one more inning against the bottom of the order, but this is a good offense that normally hits Carp well and it's making Opening Night go sour.

Bottom 4th - Glavine vs. Wilson, Pujols, Rolen

Sorry, am behind.

Wilson - K's on 6 pitches.

1 out, 0 on.

Pujols - first pitch, called strike
Second pitch- ball
Third pitch - ball
Fourth pitch - called strike
Fifth pitch - groundout. If I don't see something, I may be abandoning this game shortly.

2 out, 0 on.

Rolen - first pitch, ball
Second pitch, flyout. Grrrrr.

3 out. Someone is pitching like a former Cy Young winner here. Someone else is not.

Top 5th - Carpenter vs. Wright, Alou, Green

Wright - first pitch, called strike
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - ball. I'm going to kill this ump.
Fourth pitch - ball. Bloody hell, Carp has nothing. Get him out of there.
Fifth pitch - a hit. I told ya.... Tony, get off your keister and remove Carp from the ballgame. He is not giving us the best chance to win.

0 out, 1 on.

Alou - pickoff attempt at first.
First pitch - fouled away.
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch - ball.
Fourth pitch - swinging strike. Second K for Carp. Can they not score this inning? Please? If Carp manages to go 7 (possible, but unlikely, since his pitch count is at 83) I may relent a bit, but not much. This is a stinker, as opening games go. He doesn't have his curveball (a killer out pitch for him) or his command. Not good.

1 out, 1 on.

Green - first pitch, grounds into a forceout. Wright out, Green on at first.

2 out, 1 on.

Valentin - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch- swinging strike
Fourth pitch - fouled
Fifth pitch - got him to chase out of the zone, strikeout, inning over. I suppose by the metrics of Carp's outing to date, this is a successful inning. Practically Cy Young-like... only one baserunner.

3 out. 5-0 Mets.

Bottom 5th - Glavine vs. Molina, Edmonds, Taguchi

C'mon, somebody put a jolt into this crowd. They were so excited and... now look what you've done. Glavine only at 54 pitches through 5, he could go a complete game at this rate.

Molina - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch - No shit? A hit? Yadi dumps a single into CF.

o out, 1 on.

Edmonds - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - fouled
Third pitch - fouled again.
Fourth pitch - ball on the inside corner
Fifth pitch - fouled. Jimmy trying to stay alive and work up the pitch count.
Sixth pitch - grounds into double play. So much for that. Does Edmonds need a little more time to sit?

2 out, 0 on. This is a baaaad Opening Night game. I'm going to need a win by both the A's and the Rockies tomorrow to improve my mood.

Taguchi the Hitless Wonder - first pitch, ball
Second pitch, foul
Third pitch, groundout. I told ya.

3 out. 5-0 Mets. Please do not get shut out on Opening Night at home against the team you beat in the NLCS to reach (and win) the World Series. That would just be humiliating.

Do I have to watch this for another inning.......? Heeba.

Top 6th - Carpenter vs. Glavine, Reyes, Lo Duca

Can we, for the love of Albert, get a 1-2-3 inning for the first time since the opening frame? Please. Thank you.

Glavine - first pitch, ball
Second pitch, ball
Third pitch, ball, good lord
Fourth pitch - called strike
Fifth pitch - called strike, good
Sixth pitch - groundout, Carp to Pu. If you're coming back into form, it's a little late for that, Carp, but better late than never. You get to face the Astros at the JuiceBox next, which won't do any wonders for your ERA. Better keep it together before you get to hit the Pirates and Cubs twice apiece. AND the Cubs have an improved offense now. Let's not disintegrate to badness. I know you are better than this.

1 out, 0 on.

Reyes, first pitch, swinging strike
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - reached on error by Taguchi. Good christ I'm starting to hate Taguchi.

1 out, 1 on.

Lo Duca - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - foul
Third pitch - An out? Good heavens, what's that? Actually, it's a double play. Good heavens. Reyes doubled off first.

3 out. 5-0 Mets. Still.

Bottom 6th - Glavine vs. Kennedy, Carpenter OR Pinch-Hitter, Eckstein

Kennedy - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - called strike
Third pitch - fouled away
Fourth pitch - ball
Fifth pitch - aaaaan out. Glavine is old! He's not supposed to be this good any more! Either that or the Cards missed the memo that they were supposed to come out and show the Mets why they were champs! Instead, they're showing why they had the lowest win total for a world champion in quite a very long time...

1 out, 0 on.

Skip Schumaker hitting for Carpenter. First pitch - ball
Second pitch- ball
Third pitch - called strike
Fourth pitch - swinging strike
Fifth pitch - a hit! Schumaker aboard. I know better than to think this is going to turn into anything... cough cough.

1 out, 1 on.

Eckstein, please play like the player everyone thinks you are.
First pitch - ball.
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - called strike, inside corner
Fourth pitch - WOOOOOOOOOTT!!!! DID I JUST SEE THAT? Eckstein doubles and Schumaker scores!!!

1 out, 1 on, 5-1 Mets. I promise I will not say anything bad about Eck for the rest of the game.

Wilson - first pitch swinging, base hit, but Eck thrown out at home. Daaaaamit. Wilson to second.

2 out, 1 on. Pu is up. DO SOMETHING, ALBERT!

Pujols - first pitch, ball.
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - ball. They don't want to give him anything to hit.
Fourth pitch - called strike. Let's do this, MVP.
Fifth pitch - ball four, Albert walks. They were pitching him very, very carefully there. Now it's up to Rolen. If he gets a run in, I won't leave the game and go get something to eat, which was my plan.

2 out, 2 on.

Rolen - first pitch, fouled away. Swinging early.
Second pitch - fouled again.
Third pitch - hit by pitch, possibly in retaliation (aka the unspoken code of baseball) but a bad time to do so. Bases loaded, and... Yadier Molina, who killed the Mets' hopes last season with his ninth-inning, Game 7 HR, is up. It may be karma. COME ON!!!

3 on, 2 out.

Molina - first pitch, called strike.
Second pitch - ball, low
Third pitch - goddammit. Guess the moving-Molina-up experiment didn't work. The Cards come away with only one run as Yadier gives us a dopy soft pop-up for our trouble.

3 outs. New pitcher coming in for the Cards. 5-1 Mets.

Top 7th - Tyler Johnson vs. Beltran, Delgado, Wright

Nothing like trial-by-fire for the second-year lefty, eh? Carp departs having pitched six innings, five runs, one walk, three strikeouts, ERA 7.50. Fuuuuucking a.

Beltran - first pitch, foul
Second pitch - high heater popped out to Kennedy.

1 out, 0 on.

Delgado - first pitch, called strike. TJ looking good so far, but I said that about Carp and look how that turned out.
Second pitch - swinging strike.
Third pitch - ball, inside corner
Fourth pitch - Nasty! Outside corner, swinging strike, second out.

2 out, 0 on.

Wright - first pitch, high ball
Second pitch - flyout to Wilson.

3 out. 5-1 Mets.

Sharp, quick, crisp, clean inning from Ty Johnson. I like that. Sadly, the last 1-2-3 inning for the Cards since the first.

Bottom 7th - Pedro Feliciano vs. Edmonds, Taguchi, Kennedy

Glavine departs with six solid innings - six hits, one run, one walk, two strikeouts, 1.50 ERA.

Edmonds - first pitch, foul
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - ball
Fourth pitch - swinging strike
Fifth pitch - fouled again
Sixth pitch - ball. At least he's taking good ABs.
Seventh pitch - infield base hit that he beats out. Jimmy aboard. C'mon, Cards, it's not too late!

Wait, it's Taguchi. Yikes.

0 out, 1 on.

Taguchi - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - GOOD GOD TONY! Get him OUT of there! Flyout to Alou. I suppose the only thing I can say is that it wasn't a DP. Edmonds fussing with his shoulder... not a good sign.

1 out, 1 on.

C'mon, Kennedy. Prove why I like people named Adam so much.

Kennedy - first pitch, fouled
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - Holy hell, comedy. A double play. I should learn to keep my mouth shut.

3 out. 5-1 Mets.

Top 8th - Randy Flores (eek) vs. Alou, Green, Valentin

Alou - first pitch, out. Popout to Eckstein.

1 out, 0 on.

Green - first pitch, called strike
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - flyout to Edmonds.

2 out, 0 on. Sad state of affairs when bullpen brats Johnson and Flores outpitch Carpenter. At least our bullpen looks good... At least we haven't seen Izzy yet. I remain dubious of his recovery.

Valentin - first pitch, ball
Second pitch - called strike.
Third pitch - fouled away.
Fourth pitch - again, flyout to Jimmy. Inning over.

3 out. 5-1 Mets.

Bottom 8th - Feliciano vs. Miles, Eckstein, Wilson

Miles PHing for the pitcher
First pitch - ball
Second pitch - ball
Third pitch - ball
Fourth pitch - called strike. Is it too late to hope for a rally...?
Fifth pitch - ball. Leadoff walk.

o out, 1 on. Mets coaching staff pays a little social call to Feliciano. They decide he is no longer the man for the job and insert a schmo named Joe Smith instead. Joe Smith's parents are unimaginative. Hopefully he is also a bad pitcher.

Eckstein - first pitch, called strike
Second pitch - fouled away
Injury delay? What? Who's hurt? Not having TV sucks.
Okay. Third pitch - sharply fouled, Miles going.
Fourth pitch - a single. 3-4 performance from Eck. I will not say anything bad about him for the next four innings of tomorrow's game.

Tony, you HAVE to pinch-hit Duncan here. No Wilson. Plllllleeeeeease.

No such luck. FUCK.

2 on, 0 out.

Wilson - first pitch, called strike.... wheee....
Second pitch - foul
Third pitch - swinging strikes. HE's TERRIBLE!!! AAAAAH!!!

2 on, 1 out. Big Big Albert at the plate.... COME ON.... one last shot. Now or never.

Pujols - first pitch, ball. Going to pitch him carefully again...
Second pitch - ball, again. Don't chase crap, Albert, be picky. Make them lay it in there... and belt it.
Third pitch - ball. Boooo. Cowards.
Fourth pitch - called strike. Wait for it, Pu... come on.
Fifth pitch - ball. Knew that was coming. Bases loaded again, this time for Rolen.... COME ON!!!!

3 on, 1 out.

Scotty-Ro could tie this game right here. What are the odds he will? I won't dare a guess. The Mets' bullpen is looking as bad as the Cards' look good. But the Cards need to capitalize on their shakiness if they plan to get anywhere. As a really scary scenario, Wells and Looper are the next two guys to face the Mutts.

Pitching change - Aaron Heilman in. Don't be impatient, Rolen. Wait for your pitch. Make him groove it. And blast one. Coincidentally, the same scenario as with Albert.

Rolen- first pitch, ball
Second pitch - holy damning hell. Bloody. Bloody. Hell. Rolen hits it really hard but it turns into a DP. Ladies and gents, the Cards are cooked for tonight.

3 out. 5-1 Mets.

Top 9th - Brad Thompson vs. Newhan, Reyes, Lo Duca

Newhan - singles on fourth pitch.

0 out, 1 on

Reyes - first pitch, singles. Okay, Thompson is bad. ;) Get him out. But seriously... whatever.... just whatever by this point.

0 out, 2 on.

WHOA HO HO! Reyes picked off/caught stealing. Nice job, Molina.

1 out, 1 on.

Lo Duca - first pitch, fouled
Second pitch - whoo the mets scored. thompson bad. cards are losing, all not good. RBI single. 6-1. I think I've seen enough for tonight and I didn't eat dinner. I'll finish the liveblog with the bottom of the ninth when I get back, not that that'll be anything particularly special.

Beltran - grounds into forceout.

Delgado - grounds into forceout.

Bottom 9th - Wagner vs. Molina, Spiezio, Taguchi

Molina - singles

0 out, 1 on.

Spiezio - pops out

1 out, 1 on.

Taguchi - singles

1 out, 2 on.

Bennett - pops out

2 out, 2 on.

Miles - flies out.

Game over. Cards lose. 6-1 your final. W: Glavine (1-0, 1.50). L: Carpenter (0-1, 7.50)

Boooooo.

Tonight's The Night The World Begins Again

OPENING NIGHT. Oh, how beautiful those two words are after a long offseason in which there were either a) no games, or b) games that didn't count with the regulars subbed out by the sixth inning for a bunch of no-name scrubs. Spring Training was a vital link that helped me get through the dimness of winter, but after needing time off to recover from the burden of caring so much, every night, my heart is ready to go, ready to soar and fall and go wherever the Cardinals, Athletics, and Rockies do. The Cardinals are kicking off the festivities tonight with an NLCS rematch against the Mets, Chris Carpenter vs. Tom Glavine (and for the record, I guessed every Opening Day starter correctly with the exception of Derek Lowe starting for the Dodgers instead of my pick Jason Schmidt, and Jose Contreras starting for the White Sox instead of either Mark Buehrle or Jon Garland). Also, Kenny Rogers got injured and messed up my pick for the Tigers -- it's Jeremy Bonderman instead. Also, I suppose that I didn't guess Carl Pavano for the Yanks -- who would have? -- so that bumps me down one. Still, 26 out of 30 -- nice job, Hilary.

I'll be liveblogging the game tonight, even though I am deprived of a TV and must rely on fancy-schmancy newfangled Gameday 2007 instead. As the fans celebrate that tenth world championship one more time at Busch before they begin the title defense, here are your starting lineups:

THE NEW YORK METS

Jose Reyes, SS
Paul Lo Duca, C
Carlos Beltran, CF
Carlos Delgado, 1B
David Wright, 3B
Moises Alou, LF
Shawn Green, RF
Jose Valentin, 2B
Tom Glavine, P

THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

David Eckstein, SS
Preston Wilson, RF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Yadier Molina, C
Jim Edmonds, CF
So Taguchi, LF
Adam Kennedy, 2B
Chris Carpenter, P

I must admit I'm a bit surprised to see Yadi so high in the lineup, but apparently he hits better with runners on and he needs to do SOMETHING to improve on his .216 mark last year. It's good to see that Jimmy Ballgame is back and ready to go, as there were rampant rumors that he wouldn't be recovered from offseason toe and shoulder surgery in time to make the inaugural game. Dismayed to see Preston Wilson and So Taguchi in there, as both had horrible springs but benefit from La Russa's irrational fascination for them. I'd like to see Chris Duncan in there instead, bad defense and all, as he has power, something which P-Dub and S-Tag don't. Kennedy and Eckstein used to play on the Angels together, so they're a seasoned double-play tandem that should take care of things up the middle. Hopefully, Scotty Rolen is back in fine fettle and ready to rake, and as long as the Cards have the best hitter in the universe, Albert Pujols, sitting in there, they should be all right. 2005 NL Cy Young winner (and 2006 Cy runner-up) Chris Carpenter makes the start.

First pitch scheduled for 8:05 ET, although it may be delayed with ceremony. It warms my heart and gives me chills to think of the riotous welcome the red-clad faithful are going to give their (and my) Redbirds. They're welcoming a world champion back to the house for the first time since Opening Day 1983, and you can bet that place will be rocking tonight.

15 minutes until the world begins again.

GO CARDINALS!!!!!!

Opening Day Starters

Here's the list of Opening Day starters by team. If the starter hasn't been officially named yet, my guess is in parentheses; if the manager has written them in stone, then they're not.

Arizona Diamondbacks: (Brandon Webb. It's not been made official, but he won the Cy Young.... no way it's going to be anyone else).
Atlanta Braves: (John Smoltz. I suspect they'll go with his veteran mojo and reward him with the Opening Day start. Either that or Tim Hudson).
Baltimore Orioles: (Updating this to guess Erik Bedard instead).
Boston Red Sox: (Curt Schilling. As if it'll be anyone else. I don't think they'll choose Daisuke Matsuzaka over him just yet).
Chicago Cubs: (Carlos Zambrano. It's not announced yet, but it's pretty much a sure thing).
Chicago White Sox: (I suspect Mark Buehrle or Jon Garland).
Cleveland Indians: (C.C. Sabathia. Another sure thing that just hasn't been formalized yet).
Cincinnati Reds: (Aaron Harang. Bronson Arroyo is a close second, but I'm pretty certain that Harang will come away with the nod).
Colorado Rockies: Aaron Cook. It's been formalized by Hurdle, Cookie will be tossing the first pitches of 2007 for the Rox.
Detroit Tigers: (Kenny Rogers will probably come away with the start just because of his veteran savvy. Either that or Justin Verlander will be rewarded for his Rookie of the Year campaign, but I'm going with Rogers).
Florida Marlins: Dontrelle Willis, to nobody's surprise, will be opening the season for the Fish.
Houston Astros: (Roy Oswalt. With Clemens gone, there's no way it'll be anyone else).
Kansas City Royals: (Gil Meche. They'll waste no time in getting their putative "ace" out there for a look-see).
Los Angeles Angels: John Lackey. Manager Mike Scioscia formally announced the assignment for the 28-year-old righty today.
Los Angeles Dodgers: (Jason Schmidt - they'll want to trot their prized offseason acquisition out for his first pitches in Dodger blue instead of Giants orange, something which will no doubt solidify the newfound hatred for him among the Giants faithful).
Milwaukee Brewers: (It's almost certain that Ben Sheets will end up with the nod, if they don't surprise everyone and pick Chris Capuano instead. He actually had a better season, but Sheets will likely earn it on name value).
Minnesota Twins: Johan Santana. As if it would be anyone else. Another not-announced but no parentheses needed.
New York Mets: (Since Pedro's out, the honor will almost surely fall to Tom Glavine).
New York Yankees: (The decision seems to be down to Chien-Ming Wang, who went 19-6 last year, or the returning Andy Pettitte. Since I love Andy, I really hope he ends up with it).
Oakland Athletics: Danny Haren will be taking the ball on Opening Day versus the Mariners, lining up Rich Harden for the start in the A's home opener.
Philadelphia Phillies: (Jamie Moyer may end up with it, because he's, um, old. And, er, crafty? Either that or Brett Myers the wife-beater).
Pittsburgh Pirates: (Fairly certain that young Zach Duke will end up with the honors).
St. Louis Cardinals: Chris Carpenter. I've not bothered to put it in parentheses since it's such a sure thing.
San Diego Padres: (Jake Peavy is fairly certain to take the start, if ol' Greg Maddux doesn't accidentally weasel in there).
San Francisco Giants: (Moneygrubber Newcomer Barry Zito is almost certainly going to be getting the assignment for the Gnats).
Seattle Mariners: (Felix Hernandez will almost undoubtedly take the honors if Hargrove gets over his ridiculous hesitation to hand the inaugural ball to a 20-year-old. If not, the role will go to Jarrod Washburn, something that would really piss off Mariners fans).
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: To absolutely no one's surprise, Scott Kazmir will be kicking things off for the Rays in '07.
Texas Rangers: (I'm guessing it's Kevin Millwood).
Toronto Blue Jays: (Another as-good-as-announced assignment will be Roy Halladay).
Washington Nationals: (Gotta admit: I have no idea. That said, I'll tentatively pick John Patterson).

This is another clear sign that we need baseball to start already. Geesh.