The baseball post

Atteneded last night's Cardinals/D-backs game sort of, but not really, for free. In the end, it probably doesn't mater. The Good Guys won 5-0, with mark "Don't Call me Agent" Mulder throwing a complete-game shutout. Nothing amazing, but he got about 47 ground ball outs, so I'm not complaining. At one point, 5 of 6 outs were ground balls to third base. Honestly, I think Abe Nuñez deserves about 1/5 or so of that win.

Being at a game, as opposed to watching on TV offers a lot more to take in than normal. Such as:

-seeing exactly where the pticher stands on the mound. I usually just assume they're standing on the middle of the rubber, but Mulder was standind way on theright side, and the D-backs starter was over on the left, as were the relievers.

-watching the defense realign themselves depending on who was batting. The D-backs' third basemen was playing in on just about everyone who batted, it seemed. "That's Just So" taguchi came up with two out and no one on at ne point, and he was playing in as if the Gooch might be bunting or something. He moved back after a couple pitches, but it was still weird. Concede nothing, I guess.

-hot dogs. I don't care what anyone says, but a hot dog cooked on those roller things at the ballpark is better than any other way of cooking them. Almost $11 for two of 'em and a soda, but it's one of those little things that make a trip down there better.

-new ballpark is looking mighty fine. I really hope they have a pitch count meter, along with the usual strike out board.

-I wonder if there are really intense fan keeping score in notebooks even when they're at home. I really like doing the scorecard thing when I'm at the game, but I never know what to do with the things when I get home.


No more Scott Rolen this season, apparently. Am I wrong for not being all that worried right now?


Get your head in the game, the Chort! The Cheat is wide open!
Dave