Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Finally, a box score

Baseball begins the 2009 season with the first scheduled spring training games this afternoon. The Angels play the White Sox at 12:05 Pacific, although the squads playing today will probably include a host of minor-leaguers and very few players expected to be in the opening day lineup. However, Scot Shields, Biran Fuentes, Jose Arredondo, and Bobby Abreu should see some playing time in the first few games as they have the World Baseball Classic coming up.

Kelvim Escobar is still way ahead of schedule with his shoulder rehab, but apparently injured his calf during a conditioning drill. It's supposedly improving, so I suspect nothing serious.

Most of the regular starting lineup will be playing at least six innings by the time the second week of March finishes up. Until then, expect brief starts of 2 or 3 innings, especially for guys like Vlad and Torii.


Miscellany:

  • Thank you, Steve Lopez.
  • Awful news, both for Northeastern, who so rarely produces top-tier football talent, and for Mandeville, a top-notch kid who should've been starting in the NFL every weekend next season.
  • Mike DiGiovanna claims Jose Arredondo as Preston Gomez's parting gift to the Angels organization.
  • Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty both scored in a shootout to lead the Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Wild. Jon Quick made saved 3 of 4 shots in the shootout and 23 of 24 in regulation/overtime. He is, thankfully, making me forget how he tortured NU while at UMass. The Kings are still only 4 points out of the final playoff spot in the West. It'd be awesome if they pulled this off.
  • The Lakers: Still good, even when playing bad competition, something they've struggled with this season.
  • I've read Battle of California before, but I don't remember it making its home on SBN. Regardless, this is a neat article on the thoughts of a goalie. By the way, the browser text for BoC is "Takes and trash-talk from all sides of the NHL's most pathetic rivalry," probably the best subtitle for a blog ever.
  • Broomball tonight, game three. I'll be wearing the jersey pictured below. I designed the thing at this site and received it less than two weeks later. Very nice. If anyone wants to come by and watch the game, it's at 11:00 in Matthews.
I have played 0 games of hockey in my life.

1 comment:

LAUSD Follies said...

...which is why you still have your natural teeth...