"Official" Unofficial MLB Thread (2009 Edition)

We're a few games into the season already. Let's go Mets!

Any other thoughts to get this thread started?

Go CUBS!! It's only been 100 years and counting since their last Championship. Seems like yesterday to me.

The Mariners are 5-2 and have taken an early grab of first place. And that's without Ichiro, who comes off the DL (bleeding ulcer) in a few days. After a dreary 101 losses last season all I'm asking is that they be competitive, and so far that's what they've been.

Nick Adenhart!

Indeed. Nick would have pitched in the Mariners' home opener this coming Tuesday.

42

Every player in every major league game yesterday wore this number to honor Jackie Robinson on the 62nd anniversary of his debut. Coincidentally, today is the 80th anniversary of the first game in which a team (the Yankees) wore numbers on the backs of their uniforms. (I can't find the results of the game, so I'm assuming it must have been rained out.) Two players on that team, Lou Gehrig (#4) and Leo Durocher (#7), were later mentioned on TZ.

The only player to be mentioned twice on TZ also debuted 62 years ago yesterday...and it was not Jackie Robinson (who wasn't mentioned on TZ at all). I've asked this question before; does anyone happen to remember the answer?

The Yankees lost their home opener in the new Yankee Stadium today. Aw shucks. The Mets are 1-1 so far in CitiField. Never before has it taken only two games for the Mets to get their first win in a new home park. (They lost their first seven games at the Polo Grounds, and their first three games at Shea Stadium.)

Here are all of the games played by the 1929 Yankees. This shows that their season began on April 18.

I remember it. Are you asking someone to give it?

Not being sure which you mean, I'll answer in yellow font:

Duke Snider

Edit: I checked the NY Times archives. Your assumption is right: There was a game scheduled for April 16 that was rained out. So was the April 17 game. Babe Ruth got married before 6 AM on April 17 but still planned to play later that day, but because of the rain "the Babe enjoyed an unexpected holiday on the first day of his second marriage." He had a more typical celebration on April 18, homering in the first inning as the Yankees beat the Red Sox 7-3.

This post has been edited by Dan Hollis on April 17, 2009 09:23 am

I remember it. Are you asking someone to give it?

Only if they wished to. And your answer is correct (again).

Thanks for checking. Did it say whether the Yankees played at least part of this game before it was canceled? If they didn't, then the information about April 16, 1929 (which is all over the Internet) seems to be inaccurate.

It doesn't say either way explicitly, but it does say that all pre-game ceremonies planned for April 16 would take place on April 17. So it may be inferred that no baseball was played on April 16. Referring to awards to be distributed for winning the 1928 World Series, Commissioner Landis "spent most of yesterday winding up the watches and seeing that they all kept uniform time. He is said to have found this a very pleasant diversion for a rainy afternoon."

TZ connection: John Anderson played Landis in Eight Men Out.

It doesn't say either way explicitly, but it does say that all pre-game ceremonies planned for April 16 would take place on April 17. So it may be inferred that no baseball was played on April 16.

Thanks, Dan. That makes it seem fairly likely that April 18, 1929 was the first time the Yankees actually appeared in a game with uniform numbers on their backs.

Gary Sheffield hit his 500th home run today, the first player to do so in a Met uniform...and my nap lasted just long enough that I missed it. I also missed Padre Jody Gerut's first homer at CitiField on Monday, but that might be just as well.

Every player in every major league game yesterday wore this number to honor Jackie Robinson on the 62nd anniversary of his debut.

Jackie Robinson Day turned out to be an interesting night for the M's as Griffey hit his 400th homer as a Mariner, 613th overall. In a side note, Griffey was very instrumental in the way that JR Day is celebrated, as written about by Larry Stone. Also, Ichiro hit a grand slam and tied Isao Harimoto's Japanese lifetime hit record of 3085 hits, although Ichiro's is of course combined between two countries. Ichiro went on to break the record the next night with Harimoto in attendence at Safeco Field.

The Mets started their first series (3 games) against the Phillies tonight and won their first game, 7-4. They are now 10-12 for the season. Already the local media guys are asking if these are "must-win games" for the Mets. "Must-win game" must be the most overused phrase in sports.

If the Mets sweep this series--in Philadelphia, without Santana having a start--and go on to win the division, people will probably look back on this series as a turning point. On the other hand, if they blow their next two games and go on to win the division anyway, people will presumably look back at something else as a turning point.

I hope the Mets are taking it one game, one inning, one pitch at a time.

What's the word on the guy who knocked himself out on the infield wall? Is he ok?

I think you mean Rick Ankiel of the Cardinals....bumps and bruises but nothing overly serious was the last I heard.

On a side note, the M's are sinking fast.

I think you mean Rick Ankiel of the Cardinals....bumps and bruises but nothing overly serious was the last I heard.

Well that's good news.

I saw the video of his accident, and all I can say is OUCH!

A no-no (no hits allowed by the pitcher) was thrown in SF by Jonathon Sanchez last night.

I saw the last two innings. What was really a shame was that it should have been a perfect game. Sanchez got through seven perfect innings, but in the eighth third baseman Juan Uribe had a ground ball hit right to him that he handled like the proverbial hot potato, mufffing it initially and then desperately trying to grab it again. That was the only San Diego base runner.

I saw the last two innings. What was really a shame was that it should have been a perfect game. Sanchez got through seven perfect innings, but in the eighth third baseman Juan Uribe had a ground ball hit right to him that he handled like the proverbial hot potato, mufffing it initially and then desperately trying to grab it again. That was the only San Diego base runner.

I only saw the last inning, that's when ESPN switched over. Too bad about that error in the 8th, but that was a really nice catch by Aaron Rowand in the 9th. I thought it was going to be a homer.

A few days ago, the Mets set a club record with 10 hits in an inning. That was nice.

Billy Wagner has also come back from Tommy John surgery. That's nice, too.

In all likelihood, the Mets' season will have a few more small positives before it ends. I'm looking forward to them.

Update: Wagner was just claimed on waivers by the White Sox.

No, the Red Sox.

No, the Red Sox.

Whoops. Thanks, Dan.

The Mets' celebration of their 1969 World Champion team tonight revealed that most of the '69 Mets are still alive. This includes coach Joe Pignatano, known to TZ fans for being mentioned in "Mr. Dingle, the Strong."

This Mets season is full of positives here, there and everywhere.

Today Mets fans got to see an unassisted triple play at their home field for the first time in their history!

And the positives just keep on coming...

I saw the highlight of the UTP on ESPN. That one play was more entertaining than the entire M's game today.

Ichiro is closing in on 9 straight seasons with 200+ hits...

He certainly is. 16 hits away with 38 games left. That seems a cinch barring major injury. He needs 12 more for 2,000 in his career.

Today Mets fans got to see an unassisted triple play at their home field for the first time in their history!

And the positives just keep on coming...

Since I'm a longtime Phillies fan, I was watching the game, and I was sure that Brad Lidge was going to blow another save. I did an actual double-take when I saw the play.

The play is even more amazing considering that it ended a really close ballgame, and was just the 2nd ever unassisted triple play to end a game. Also, I was pissed off at Eric Bruntlett for making two bad fielding plays, then he turns that play.

Of course, the play is 98% luck and 2% skill to not drop the ball perhaps.

I'd guess that Mets fans are pretty upset over how this season has fallen apart for them esp after the last two playoff races, and I'd guess they hate the Phillies too right now. I think maybe their manager and GM need to be replaced.

NEW YORK YANKEES FAN SINCE 1960!

AL EAST

YANKEES 78-46 -

Red Sox 70-53 7.5
Rays 67-56 10.5
Blue Jays 57-65 20
Orioles 51-73 27

We have taken 6 out of the last 7 from the Sox, so everything is fine!

He certainly is. 16 hits away with 38 games left. That seems a cinch barring major injury. He needs 12 more for 2,000 in his career.

Ichiro has been out of the lineup for the last few days with a sore calf muscle, and is "day to day", possibly returning this weekend. With the time he missed at the start of the season (bleeding ulcer) he will have missed about 2 weeks of the season, and hopefully it won't be any more than that.

He certainly is. 16 hits away with 38 games left. That seems a cinch barring major injury. He needs 12 more for 2,000 in his career.

Ichiro has been out of the lineup for the last few days with a sore calf muscle, and is "day to day", possibly returning this weekend. With the time he missed at the start of the season (bleeding ulcer) he will have missed about 2 weeks of the season, and hopefully it won't be any more than that.

Ichiro got his 200th hit of the season tonight in Texas, making 9 straight years with 200+ hits, an MLB record. It was an infield hit. It'll be interesting to see how many more years he can add on to his record. He also recently got his 2,000 MLB hit, making him the second-fastest in MLB history to 2000.

How are everyone's teams doing as the season draws to a close? I guess you know about the Mets.

While watching part of yesterday's Yankees-Red Sox game, I heard the Seattle Mariners referred to as "a good team." Congratulations, TZR.

I gave up on the Cubs sometime in the middle of August. A competitive team last year, in 2009 they were just stinky. Was team chemistry to blame? Who knows? Time to back up the truck.

As soon as the Chicago Bears start playing, even preseason games, I switch over to football mode. I'm much more of a football fan anyway.

Thanks, Bevis. I consider this season to be a success, especially after their dreadful 2008 campaign. A lot of the credit must go to Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney who together took a fractured clubhouse with strange, smoldering grudges and turned it into a family willing to put it all on the line for each other. And with a new GM who seems to be light years beyond the much-despised Bill Bavasi, and a new manager that everyone likes and respects, the future looks pretty bright.

On a side note, Ichiro was thrown out of a game for the first time the other night. He had never been kicked out in either the USA or Japan. From what I understand the umpires in Japan are more tolerant, not quite so "touchy" as the MLB umps.

With his "tater" tonight Chase Utley tied Reggie Jackson's record for most homers in a World Series, that record being 5. Jackson set the record in 1977 against the Dodgers. ARTICLE

Thanks, TZR. I was happy that this happened, and even happier that the Phillies won the game and are still in it.

As Tim McCarver said the other night, this series (Phillies vs. Yankees) is a nightmare for a Mets fan. There is no possible opponent of the Yankees, in either league, that I would root for with such misgivings as the Phillies. But I'm still rooting for 'em.

Thanks, TZR. I was happy that this happened, and even happier that the Phillies won the game and are still in it.

As Tim McCarver said the other night, this series (Phillies vs. Yankees) is a nightmare for a Mets fan. There is no possible opponent of the Yankees, in either league, that I would root for with such misgivings as the Phillies. But I'm still rooting for 'em.

I've never understood why many local Mets fans hate the Yankees, and vice-versa. I think the same thing occurs with Giants/Jets and Rangers/Islanders too.
Is this because the teams represent different areas of the city? I would think that if I grew up in NYC, I'd root for all the teams.

But what do I know. I've lived my whole life in Philly or its suburbs, so I'm ecstatic that the Phillies even made it back to the World Series. I can't predict the outcome now, but I do know the Phils could surely win these last two games, so I'm hoping.

I don't hate the Yankees too much (except for jealousy for the amount of cash they can spend), but I've hated the Mets for a long time, so I don't mind gloating over them while I can (remember that game-ending unassisted triple play at Citi Field?)

You gotta admit that for the last few years, the Phillies have had a truly great team that is a lot of fun to watch, whether they win the series again or not.

For a Chicago spin on a similar situation, most Cub fans, myself included, couldn't care less about the White Sox. However, most White Sox fans seem to have a very strong hatred of the Cubs.

My take on it...Chicago has always been a Bears/Cubs town with the White Sox a distant second. White Sox fans seem to have some sort of inferiority complex when it comes to the Cubs, no matter how good the White Sox are doing in the standings. Weird.

At least in the case of baseball, I think the phenomenon started because the teams represented different areas of the city. By now, it's tradition. Also, there's a more universal Yankee-hating tradition that's not just restricted to Mets fans.

Thanks, TZR. I was happy that this happened, and even happier that the Phillies won the game and are still in it.

As Tim McCarver said the other night, this series (Phillies vs. Yankees) is a nightmare for a Mets fan. There is no possible opponent of the Yankees, in either league, that I would root for with such misgivings as the Phillies. But I'm still rooting for 'em.

I understand where you're coming from, I like to see the teams in the AL West (other than the M's, of course) get knocked out of the playoffs as soon as possible. Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for Erich Streator (it's funny - or not so funny - that I would pick Streator since Yankees fans like to chant "Who's your daddy?!" to Pedro Martinez and Erich Streator likes to say "I'm not your daddy!" to Christie), so that's out of the question. My only interest in the Phillies is Raul Ibanez, who played for the M's and is a class guy.

BTW, not particularly important, but I should have said in my post that Utley hit 2 homers - or "taters" as Reggie liked to call them. I wonder if the straw that stirred the drink will be watching the next game (or two)...

Damn Yankees....

At least the Phillies put up a good fight.

I don't think the Phillies gave their best fight.

As a longtime Phillies fan, I can't be too upset about this season, it was another great season for the Phils, and they are such a fun team to watch, all throughout the season.

It hurts a bit more that we lost to the Yankees, I hoped we'd avenge the 1950 Whiz Kids, plus its easy to dislike the Yankees for the crazy amount of money that only they can spend for their team. They are a good team right now though, as are the Phillies.

Comcast Sportsnet had a poll this week asking if we think the Phils lost because the Yankees were the better team or because the Phils didn't play their best, and 76% voted for the latter. I gotta agree with that myself--I don't know for sure that the Yankees are a better team than the Phillies, but I do really think the Phillies didn't play anything near their best in this year's Series, not in batting, fielding, pitching, etc. They just seemed flat and not like themselves for most of the games.

It's probably right to say that the Phils couldn't hit against some of the Yankees top pitchers, but it also true that the Phils fielding wasn't nearly as sharp as usual, and some of the Phils pitchers struggled more than usual. I think Charlie Manuel made a big mistake by starting Pedro for two games when wasn't near his best. I think if we could have seen a Sabathia/Cliff Lee rematch in game four, and perhaps gotten a start from J.A.Happ or even Moyer or Meyers rather than head-case Hamels, it might have been an better and maybe closer Series.

Oh well, time to root for the Eagles and Flyers here.