Agreed.

caught my first foul ball last night during Cecil Cooper Bobblehead night. 2rd or 3th pitch of the game

3rd deck behind home plate. leaned over railing and knocked it up with one hand (left....i'm an lefty so i'm better catching with my right hand) to my chest and scooped it off the floor.

Craig Biggio fouled it off of Ben Sheets.

I've been to complaining about never coming close to getting a foul ball and know i have

My dad caught a foul ball off of Mike Schmidt at my very first baseball game.

nice...HOF

my dad dropped a ball and got boo'd
(not my first game though)

My dad got hit in the shoulder by a foul ball mere inches from my head.
(A minor league game though)

PRINCE!



cubs, lol

My starting pitching has an NL-best 2.81 ERA, .614 OPS-A (on-base-against plus slugging-against) and .219 BAA (batting-average against).

After starting 1-6, the starting pitching has me starting to believe again...baseball.

Mark Pryor's damn near about the most fragile human since Travolta was still in the plastic bubble.

Sunday's Yankees v. Red Sox game shown on ESPN garnered the highest ratings for a regular season game on the network since July 25, 2004, according to Neilsen Media Research.

The game which saw Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka, as well as 4 homeruns in a row by the Red Sox garnered a 4.0 household rating and 7 share in metered markets. In Boston, the ESPN ratings were at an all-time regular season high, posting 24.7/39 rating.

Russ Ortiz is also in that rotation, so enjoy it while it lasts...

Is anybody else having second thoughts on Bonds?

I just assumed he was juiced to the gills, but I'm not so sure anymore. Steroids destroyed Caminiti and McGwire's bodies. Luis Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa lost their power overnight. All the evidence suggests that steroid use will break down your body, and that when you stop your power falters.

Yet Bonds, under more scrutiny than any athlete in history, with the government itself trying to find any evidence against him, and at 43 YEARS OLD, is again leading the league in home runs.

Maybe Bonds' weight training regimen, the likes of which was unheard of until fairly recently and is still beyond what almost any other player does, is the real explanation. Year round weight training at all wasn't done in the past, let alone what Bonds does. Plus Bonds is one of the most skilled hitters of all time.

Maybe the only reason I was so sure he was guilty was because of a media that passionately hates the guy and jumped at the chance to convict him in the court of public opinion without evidence.

*cough*
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies-8
Barry Bonds, Giants-7

But yeah. I've been impressed. I've always maintained that the way Bonds hit the ball, steroids would be little-to-no help.

Yankees didn't lose last night!!!!



*note: game was rained out:

Heheh. It's good you have a sense of humor about it.

I've never assumed his guilt, or anyone's. That's kind of not how we're supposed to work in this country.

Most players who have been caught for steroids have either been pitchers or weak hitters like Benard. There's very little to say so far that steroids helps you hit many more home runs.

As each year passes, I find it easier and easier to get over any type of Yankees woes. My loyalty and love remain as strong as ever, but getting bummed out over multi-millionares playing a kids game; it doesnt hit me the same way anymore.

[sniffle] "Papa....Im's growing up!! [/sniffle]

i guess we do have Ortiz, were we are paying the league minimum for our 5th pitcher.

sweep, sweet

Yeah, except improving your eye sight, increasing your bat speed and making you stronger. I don't see how steroids could POSSIBLY help.

Baseball Hits Ice Age in April

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
3:38 PM PDT, May 1, 2007

Ryan Howard had just three homers, Carlos Delgado only one and Alfonso Soriano none at all: Hitters were stuck in an April ice age, with home runs and scoring in the major leagues dropping to their lowest levels since 1993.

Home runs fell 20 percent, from an average of 2.31 to 1.84 per game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The average had not been that low at the end of April since 1993's 1.58.

A huge cold front left hitters feeling frozen.

"Being cold, it's tough to get warmed up. Sometimes, it's the windy days, the wind blowing in your eyes, and different kind of stuff," Howard said. "I've never been a quick starter."

Scoring dropped 8 percent, from 9.86 to 9.08 runs per game, the lowest since the 1993 rate of 1.58. The batting average fell from .265 to .256 and the ERA fell from 4.62 to 4.12.

Looking for a cause? The average temperature was below normal for long stretches in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington, according to the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

Cleveland had six straight days of snow, with temperatures 10-to-20 degrees below normal. The Indians had an entire four-game series against Seattle wiped out, among 22 postponements in the majors -- up from eight in April last year.

"The first two weeks of the season were miserable," New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "You're playing in 12-degree weather and the ball feels like it's a rock when it hits your bat."

When they did play, attendance was up 4.8 percent, from 28,955 to 30,356. And much of baseball was turned upside down.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox threw a no-hitter on the 18th day of the season. Last year, the only no-hitter was pitched by Florida's Anibal Sanchez, and it didn't take place until Sept. 6 -- the first in the major leagues since Randy Johnson's perfect game in May 2004.

"Maybe all the pitching's caught up to the hitting," Oakland designated hitter Mike Piazza said with a chuckle.

Still, some sluggers have defied the trend. The Yankees' Alex Rodriguez hit 14 homers, tying the April record Albert Pujols set last year. Barry Bonds had eight, moving within eight of Hank Aaron's record of 755, and Sammy Sosa hit seven in his comeback with Texas, moving within 12 of 600.

Then there were forgettable Aprils. Mariano Rivera had just one save, blew two and left the month with a 10.57 ERA. Despite A-Rod's homers, the injury-weakened Yankees lost eight of their last nine games in the month and ended April at 9-14, better than only Colorado and Kansas City.

That start renewed speculation that manager Joe Torre's job may be in jeopardy, and while George Steinbrenner backed him Monday, the owner also said his $195 million team's start was "clearly not acceptable."

In Boston, Daisuke Matsuzaka was overwhelming at times, wild at others, going 3-2 with a 4.36 ERA in his first month in the majors. Tim Hudson was sharp for the Atlanta Braves: He's 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in six starts.

Then there was the unusual. Colorado rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki accomplished one of baseball's rarities Sunday: the 13th unassisted triple play in major league history.

"The season isn't made in one month, especially the first month of the season," Howard said. "Like everybody says, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. You can get off to a slow start, but as long as you finish strong, then it's fine."

jimmy rollins must love the cold.

i need all the good news i can get this year:

Lincecum set to start Sunday night vs. Phils
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, May 3, 2007

-- Tim Lincecum's time has come, and the entire nation will have a chance to see his arrival.

However, when asked about the prospect of 22-year-old Lincecum making his big-league debut on "Sunday Night Baseball," Bochy said, "They're all TV games now. If it is Timmy, I don't think that's going to come into play. He won't be thinking that it's a national TV game, but what will be his approach on the mound. He's a tough kid. I thought in spring training he handled himself well. If it is Timmy, he'll be fine."

Lincecum is 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA in four starts at Fresno. He has allowed one run on 12 hits in 31 innings, walking 11 and striking out 46. That includes a 14-strikeout game against Colorado Springs in his last start Sunday. He was scheduled to pitch against Las Vegas tonight.

"Everyone was talking about the 14-strikeout game," said Frandsen, who played behind Lincecum. "But I was more impressed with the game when he walked six and hit a guy."

Frandsen was referring to April 23 against Tucson. Lincecum left after 61/3 innings without allowing a hit.

"He kept his composure and didn't give in," Frandsen said. "It reminds me a lot of what Matt (Cain) does. That makes me feel Timmy is ready for something bigger. ... If he does what he is supposed to do, I think San Francisco is in for a treat."

there is some damn good pitching in the NL West.

Bonds moved within 10 home runs of Hank Aaron's all-time record when he took Tom Glavine deep in the fourth inning Tuesday night.

Early this season, Bonds said the countdown to Aaron should start at 750, but most countdowns start with 10 to go, and there he stands.

I have tickets for the June 18 Giants-Brewers tilt at Miller Park. Knock on wood, brah will match or break 755 in Bud Selig's town (which will make Bud's absence all that much more conspicuous... even if he did sell his "blind" interest in the team three years ago (dude still lives here)).