There Is Joy In Mudville Again!
April 5, 2012 6:23 PM   Subscribe

 
LETS GO NATS

Great start to the season tonight in Wrigley.
posted by troika at 6:27 PM on April 5, 2012 [3 favorites]


Love my Nats (who won on Opening Day for the first time since 2008), missed baseball so much I want to give it sloppy kisses.

(On preview, hey friend!)
posted by timetoevolve at 6:31 PM on April 5, 2012 [3 favorites]


You know what they say- the 28th one is the hardest.
posted by jenkinsEar at 6:34 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


The fans in Cleveland got their money's worth - longest opening day game in MLB history
posted by thecjm at 6:45 PM on April 5, 2012


Go Nats!
posted by humanfont at 6:51 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


Who knew that all three Nationals fans were MeFites?
posted by uncleozzy at 6:54 PM on April 5, 2012 [19 favorites]


Oh, those teams are listed in alphabetical order, by city. Just about lost it there for a sec.
posted by Danf at 6:58 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


Tampa Bay Rays: They play like drunk Mexicans.

What?
posted by Panjandrum at 6:59 PM on April 5, 2012


The Orioles will continue to play baseball, and will win at least some of their games.
posted by codacorolla at 7:05 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


The Mets won!! Hooray!!
posted by jonmc at 7:12 PM on April 5, 2012 [5 favorites]


Chicago vs. Chicago, featuring Ron Swanson and Darryl.
posted by mhum at 7:13 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


Here's my take on the 2012 Orioles. Executive summary: the Orioles are very likely to finish last in the AL East, but there's a wider error bar around their performance than there is for most teams, so they're more likely than you think to have an OK season. Not very likely, of course. Just more likely than you think.

But it's a fun team to watch, much more so than the really dire teams of the early 2000s; some of those teams won more games than the current edition of the O's, but they were really depressing.
posted by escabeche at 7:14 PM on April 5, 2012


Go Mariners!!!





...sigh
posted by calamari kid at 7:21 PM on April 5, 2012 [3 favorites]


Here's my take on the 2012 Seattle Mariners:

Sigh.
posted by dw at 7:21 PM on April 5, 2012 [3 favorites]


My prediction: The Pirates will suck again this year.
posted by octothorpe at 7:29 PM on April 5, 2012


I predict the cubs will win some games, lose some games, and we'll hear lots of "next year" by around.. mid-August.
posted by ninjew at 7:30 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


Poor Mets. Poor, poor Mets.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:48 PM on April 5, 2012




Haha, jinx dw!
posted by calamari kid at 8:08 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'm also an O's fan. It's going to be a rough season.
posted by gaspode at 8:08 PM on April 5, 2012


Go Phillies!!!





...Yeah, they are awesome.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:15 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


I got a good feeling about my Tigers. After watching today's game they need to tighten their stuff up a bit but there's too much talent for the team not to make a pretty contentious run.

I have already informed my baseball friends that if the Tigers get into the World Series I am going to be insufferable for weeks.
posted by HostBryan at 8:34 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


More baseball music
Both by The Baseball Project:
Please Don't Call Them Twinkies
Ichiro Goes to the Moon
posted by drezdn at 8:54 PM on April 5, 2012


The end of the Brewers' season last year was a heartbreaker. This year could be their last good shot for a bit, and I hope they can at least make it to the post season. It'll take a bit of luck and things falling the right way, but it's definitely possible.

I'll never forget last year's team though. From Nyjer Morgan flying a kite on an off day, to John Axford celebrating Saito's birthday when he was "not birthday," it was just a bunch of fun misfits (or so it seemed).
posted by drezdn at 9:00 PM on April 5, 2012


Re: The Brewers -

As long as Uecker is back everything will be alright.
posted by Bonzai at 9:06 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


Andy Petite, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will get one more Series title this year and Petite and Rivera will retire in style. Oh, Jorge Posada will get a call around July to see if he wants to come back as the left hand hitting DH when Ibanez falters. He too will get one more title. The Core Four will lead the YANKEES to the title. When they win, Jeter may even retire too.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:15 PM on April 5, 2012


Love what the writer said about Pete Rose. And there is nothing like Opening Day for the Redstockings;it's an official city holiday.
posted by Isadorady at 9:38 PM on April 5, 2012


I predict the cubs will win some games, lose some games, and we'll hear lots of "next year" by around.. mid-August.

More like mid-April.
posted by IvoShandor at 10:36 PM on April 5, 2012


I love baseball.

I hate that the team I get to see the most games from is the Mariners.

After living in Phoenix during the miraculous 2001 season (and having a local, non-network television station which carried about 90% of their games), it's been oh-so-heartbreaking to have moved to Mariners country, even if they are ~300 miles away.

Still, I love baseball, so yay! I'll watch as many games by whomever as I can. Because I love it.

Next winter, my quest is going to be to figure out how to watch curling regularly. But for now, it's The American Pasttime, and I'm oh-so happy it's that time again.
posted by hippybear at 11:15 PM on April 5, 2012 [2 favorites]


Arizona gets a lot of things wrong, but their baseball and hockey teams are two of the best teams in all of sport, in terms of sportsmanship, likability, and just being real, awesome human beings. Everyone on the Diamondbacks and Coyotes are just humble, hard workers. We're frequently written off as underdogs and we keep grinding things out and winning. It's fun to watch, but it's even better that our players are so great. We have a few superstars even, but they're just great people to watch, to listen to, etc, etc.

I see other teams with asshole, holier-than-thou, well, Yankees, and I think that it would drive me nuts. I love that our guys have heart and that they can surprise and win. From our coaching and management staff on down, they're great organizations and it makes for a different way to enjoy the franchises instead of just through winning.
posted by disillusioned at 11:44 PM on April 5, 2012


Specialty info on the Mariners for NBP fans: Kawasaki looked GREAT in spring games; sadly, Iwakuma did not. As the second preview link up there hints, Ichiro looked like he was ok in the slot.

My mission this season is to get Iwakuma to sign the Eagles cap. You can spot me at games via said cap and the Tanaka jersey.
posted by mwhybark at 11:49 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


Our baby is due at the end of July/beginning of August -- just in time for his Cubs fan mom and Pirates fan dad to have completely lost all vestiges of hope in this season.
posted by ThatSomething at 11:57 PM on April 5, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think the Mariners have an excellent chance at finishing the season in the AL West.

(For some reason, no one at work here in LA wanted to talk about just how amazing the Tigers look this year…)
posted by klangklangston at 12:01 AM on April 6, 2012


I love baseball.

Last year I decided to begin messing around charting baseball data as a project to learn how to become a better programmer. It's still in the fledgeling stages, but Opening Day brings a new motivation to expand on what I've started, and I'd like to show you all.

2011 MLB Standings charts each team and its +/- games over .500 over the course of the season. The default selection shows Boston's collapse, and Tampa Bay's surge to claim the AL Wild Card. Also check out St. Louis and Atlanta for the similar NL scenario.

2012 MLB Standings. Same thing as above, but currently with significantly less datapoints. This gets updated every night after the day's games have been played.

2011 MLB Return on Investment charts wins by each team and the amount of dollars paid for each win. The Yankees spent $2,134,515 per win, the Rays just $463,421.

2009-2011 MLB Return on Investment. Same as above, with data averaged over the past 3 seasons.

I was going to post this to projects and probably will once it gets more fleshed out, but might as well put it here. I'd love to know what you think, or if you have anything you'd like to see charted for this season.
posted by clearly at 1:51 AM on April 6, 2012 [3 favorites]




Cubs fan mom and Pirates fan dad

Does that mean the baby will be an Indians fan?
posted by clorox at 3:21 AM on April 6, 2012 [3 favorites]


This is the first Mets opening day I've missed since I moved back to the area. I just couldn't muster enough enthusiasm for a team so spectacularly fucked up (and whose beer vendors no longer tote around cans of Brooklyn Lager; this is possibly the more important point).
posted by uncleozzy at 4:43 AM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


I heard the Mets sold out opening day at the last minute, in an odd fashion.
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:52 AM on April 6, 2012


Best comment I've read so far here:
ah opening day of Baseball season. Where everyone feels like they do at the start of a relationship. #thistimeitwillworkout #masochism
That being said, I love me my Twins team! Now if only Mauer and Morneau decide to actual EARN their pay this year, we might have a chance!
posted by jillithd at 7:03 AM on April 6, 2012


It took 16 innings, but what a way to start the season for my Jays!
posted by WinnipegDragon at 7:05 AM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Bill Murray threw out the first pitch at Wrigley yesterday and then some.

Hope they had a AED unit at the ready -- the 120-yard dash isn't trivial for a 60-something!
posted by aught at 7:28 AM on April 6, 2012


hippybear and everyone else in Mariners country: I totally understand what you are going through. I grew up in Cardinals territory, and so you can imagine my surprise when I went to my first Mariners game.

The crowd at a game in Busch stadium is just a sea of Red and white (and a dash of blue) as far as the eye can see. No matter who the Cards are playing. But at a Mariners game, the colors are mixed, the fans are mixed, and it's just weird. Go to see the Mariners play the Yankees or the Red Sox and you will find almost as many (sometimes I think more) fans of those teams as you will Mariners fans.

And don't get me started on the food. Sushi? Chocolate-covered strawberries? Really? I mean, it is nice food, but it's far from traditional baseball fare. It just...it just doesn't feel right. Having microbrews on tap, as opposed to Bud Light, Budweiser, or Bud Select is very nice, though.

It's a shame, too, since Safeco is a very nice stadium, built for baseball fans. Which I suppose is the difference between going to a Cardinals game and a Mariners game for me: People go to Cardinals games because they love the Cardinals. People go to Mariners games because they love baseball.

Now that I live in the Midwest again, I am very excited to have tickets to Opening Day at Busch Stadium this year!
posted by mysterpigg at 8:30 AM on April 6, 2012


> Oh, those teams are listed in alphabetical order, by city. Just about lost it there for a sec.

Yeah, I thought "They're picking the Mets to finish in the middle of the division?" and my heart leapt for a moment before I remembered the chance of their escaping the cellar is approximately equal to my chance of winning a Nobel. But hey, today they're on top of the standings (due to the win that my esteemed colleague jonmc noted above), so:

LET'S GO METS!
posted by languagehat at 8:31 AM on April 6, 2012 [6 favorites]


Plus, it was great to see Johan in action again. The possibility of him returning to form this season is one of the few bright spots on the horizon for Mets fans.

I mean, they *could* escape the cellar this year. Let's assume that it'd be Atlanta they're chasing for the fourth spot. If the 2012 Braves play like the second half 2011 Braves (which they very well might, given that it's basically the exact same team), and Wright and Bay wake up, and Ike Davis is able to bounce back, and their rotation can stay healthy/reasonably consistent...

All I'm saying is that maybe you deserve a Nobel, LH.
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:45 AM on April 6, 2012


mysterpigg, don't forget even though I think we have all come to the conclusion that Safeco is indeed a very nice stadium, we still kinda hate it, since it was built against multiple defeats at the polls. Those defeats went a long way toward making me (amazingly) even more cynical about our democracy.

That said, it really is a very nice stadium, just the sort of place you'd want to, oh, hold a circus.
posted by mwhybark at 10:11 AM on April 6, 2012


The Phils won the first of what will undoubtedly be a whole lot of 1-0 victories.

There's no need yet to start thinking about how many 1-0 losses will accompany those....
posted by snottydick at 10:15 AM on April 6, 2012


The Minnesota Twins are the best baseball team. Every damn year these haterade-sippin', big-shot sportswriters from DEEETROIT and CLEEEVELAND come in and say "We pay our outfield more than our entire police force" or "We've got a pitcher that can throw a car" or whatever and then I get on my bike and pedal as hard as I can so I get to the stadium and make it in time for the first pitch and grab a hotdog and then we SMOKE THEIR BUTTS.

Mauer and Morneau are back too so keep writing about how the AL Central will throw us a towel because we are all washed up but then we wring it out and BAM, it's champagne! I'll start planning the parade.
posted by antonymous at 10:17 AM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Go to see the Mariners play the Yankees or the Red Sox and you will find almost as many (sometimes I think more) fans of those teams as you will Mariners fans.

We were watching the openers in Japan and I noted the large crowd to Mrs. CK, "Do you think we'll see any crowds like that this year?" Her reply, "Sure, when the Red Sox come to town."


Sigh again.
posted by calamari kid at 12:55 PM on April 6, 2012


Last part is up now. Go Giants!
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:02 PM on April 6, 2012


> Last part is up now. Go Giants!

Or not :-(

This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service.
posted by sideshow at 3:24 PM on April 6, 2012


LET'S GO PHILLIES! clap clap clapclapclap

162-0, baby!!!

(Seriously, they're going to give me heartburn this year!)
posted by JKevinKing at 3:51 PM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Wow. Seeing Valverde and Mo blowing saves on back to back days (and the latter for a loss, no less!) makes the start of this season seem like some sort of fever dream.
posted by SpiffyRob at 4:34 PM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Freakin Cardinals. *sigh*
posted by drezdn at 10:17 PM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Now that I live in the Midwest again, I am very excited to have tickets to Opening Day at Busch Stadium this year!

Welcome back! Don't worry, we have good beer now.
posted by saul wright at 11:20 PM on April 6, 2012


Kawasaki unexpectedly had his US MLB debut tonight. I couldn't tell if it was because of that in general or because he is just a positive guy, but every single time he was in a shot he was smiling and saying something with a smile to his teammates. I have to imagine that's welcome.
posted by mwhybark at 9:16 PM on April 7, 2012 [1 favorite]


« Older "In Calabar they have over two hundred inches of...   |   Weatherscan Music Station Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments