SF @ LAD

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=MbRB8nb9C0WBFVVzzb3p8TuGSuQ0aJqT

I was definitely a baseball rookie when I started this blog.  And not that I’m a veteran now, but I do feel I’m smarter about the sport than I was.  Looking back on what I’ve written so far, I feel fairly happy about my output, with one minor flaw. 

I don’t think I’m a Giants fan…!

I think I just picked them because of proximity; because I like San Francisco as a city.  Does that mean they should be my favorite team though?  Liking a city seems like a dumb reason to like a team.

So who do I really like? 

After much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a Dodgers fan.   

I can’t help it!  I know it’s blasphemy, but I find myself drawn to them.  I originally thought this was because they were the Giants’ biggest rival, so I was just paying attention to them and covering them a lot to keep up with the enemy.  But I can’t fool myself any more, I’m paying attention to them because they’re cooler. 

Why do I think they’re cooler?  Here’s why:

Maybe they haven’t beaten the Giants more than the Giants have beaten them, but they’ve won more Division titles, NL pennants and World Series championships!

Blue is my favorite color, and the Dodgers not only sport it, but it’s called Dodger Blue.  Plus they’ve been very traditional with their uniforms, hardly changing anything about them over the years, which I respect immensely.  Maybe uniform design is a shallow reason to like a team, but hey! I’m shallow!  And really, I can’t stand the idea of dressing up in Halloween colors all the time just to show my love for something.  Yick. 

Because they’re located in LA, hot celebrities like them.  Maybe that’s a shallow reason, but hey! I’m shallow and I’d rather see pretty people at my ballpark of choice than say…this guy!

Can ya blame me?

They hold the record for the largest attendance, with 115,300 in 2008.  Who am I to argue with 115,300 fans?

They were the first MLB franchise to employ and start a black player, and I am all about equality.

First team to use the batting helmet, and I am all about safety.

First team to be broadcast on television, and I am all about television.

Yep, anyway you look at it, I just feel like the Dodgers are a better fit for me.  Sorry Giants fans.  I honestly didn’t mean to steer this blog in the wrong direction.  I just didn’t know what I was doing when I started.  I guess I should have put more thought into it.

This post feels more right to me than any of my posts that have come before, so I’m confident I’m on the right track now and I’m glad I figured out this important detail right before the 2010 season starts, so now I can spend my time rooting for the right team.

GO DODGERS!

Speaking of shallow…just one more kick-*** reason to be a Dodgers fan!

Cooler than that it does not get! 

SF @ MIL | CHC @ SF

I LOVE the new scoreboard layout on MLB.  Way cooler. 

SF @ MIL

How many times can you beam Fielder and call it an “accident?”  Seriously, enough’s enough!  The first time was too much, let’s not create a new “beam Fielder” tradition every time we play the Brewers.  It’s beyond childish at this point. 

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=A4iLjsmT6NYsP_OPqbW_h58lFcp1jfGf

CHC @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=Hfj3FPQxJLs6bsgihitE1xo5ABJzp5ae

Only one more spring training game and then we’re on to the real thing.  The world seems excited about this team, and I am too.  On the other hand, it’s a clean slate for everyone, so if you have a team you’re not excited about, that sucks.  It’s also unlikely.  Which coach is on television this season saying “Yeah, we probably don’t have a chance…”?  None of them, for sure.  Everyone thinks their team is going to be it this year, that’s why the beginning of the season is so great, nothing bad has happened yet, and there’s plenty of time to get there. 

Spring training means nothing, but if it did, we’re looking pretty good!

Only one more fake game to go, and it’s a biggiee.  Can we lock it in and take them out twice?  Random guy says YES!

LAA @ SF | SF @ LAA | SD @ SF

LAA @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=m8HwdZflNa_GMNkQuewHbrlRr8xu5t8f

SF @ LAA

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=o5WPhW3xmYXZMMS1_tKp41kqX3JR_NhI

SD @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=bfrc35Mk9P3Qh1AHasLvZwXF3JOjc09I

More balance.  We beat the Angels, they beat us back.  (But we beat them by more – neener!)  Lose to my brother’s team, the Padres.  That sucks.  (They probably aren’t his team anymore, but they were for a little while there, so I still associate him with them.)

SF @ CIN | SF @ KC | OAK @ SF

SF @ CIN

SF @ KC

OAK @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=2wpPRQIJo4sYqbHclau3SuKQXDTtZb_c

Nice to see balance restored with a win over the A’s.  Whoever was pitching in the 8th during the Reds game…yikes!

SF @ CWS

16-6 (but who cares!). 

I don’t really know the guy I mentioned before who is the White Sox fan, but I listen to his podcast enough to where I feel good about his team losing to mine anyway.  I’ve traded a few e-mails back and forth with Jimmy Mac, co-host of the kick-assiest (totally a word) Star Wars podcast ever, The Forcecast, and I’m his best “not real” friend on Facebook too, so I make sure I post Giants vs White Sox scores on his wall.  It makes me feel good inside, even if he probably doesn’t give a crud.

What does this have to do with anything?  Nothing really, other than A) It’s cool that there’s a baseball fanatic out there who’s also a geek and B) A win is more fun when you can rub it in someone’s face.

Is that so wrong? 

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=AKMULTR2_fFQNjudGD9C3ERbZ8aUmiQL

SF @ OAK | CLE @ SF | CIN @ SF | SF @ ARI | TEX @ SF

I think I’ve decided that spring training is stupid from a spectators point of view. 

Either your team or player of choice is doing awesome, so that’s officially what you can expect for the upcoming season, or they suck so it doesn’t count because they’re just experimenting and spring training means nothing. 

Either you’re a veteran player who is using springing training as practice to try out new things so your numbers mean nothing, or you’re a wannabe rookie trying to work his way up into a position and your numbers mean everything (except even then they should still mean nothing because you’re playing against veterans who may or may not be doing what they would normally do AKA their best). 

So I wonder if I should continue to post and comment on these scores, because what can you really comment about?  “Oh he looks good (but it doesn’t matter!).”  “Oh, he played horrible (but it doesn’t matter!).”  Yeah, that’s pretty much it. 

But I started it, so I guess I’ll finish it. What else am I going to do with this blog?  Come up with something original?  Ha!  As I’ve been under the weather for the past week, I’m a bit behind.

SF @ OAK

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=IHzbgQuNgpv4Edt3GGOPR5HVYbjQKwui

CLE @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=POWWpqLSRScL2SWsQiw9cBBZFONKPElP

CIN @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=S4NVKRmTUKt4466lZB2WrxYhQMr59Ls_

SF @ ARI

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=O_H__hvMZmLTMNpXOMD9vMZeK7oLlekp

TEX @ SF

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=Kt58pErBaipD9KJC_sIi1aLpRLqNiH0e

Five games, five wins, still #1 (but it doesn’t matter!).

SF @ TX

10-4, good buddy!

Posey still hitting like crazy, averaging .440 for the spring and Fred Lewis got to be a DH rarity and hit a two run homer.  Brian Wilson closed 6 out of 7 batters.  Why does it seem like everyone but the two superstars of last season are doing awesome this spring? 

This game was available on MLB.tv last night, but damn if I could get it to work.  I kept getting a “lost connection” error.  I don’t know if this is common with live games, as like a bandwidth issue, or if I was just having crummy internet connectivity.  So far MLB.tv is a bust for me.  Oh well.

SEA @SF | SF @ COL | OAK @ SF | SF @ SEA | MIL @SF

Eeks, I’m behind.  That’s what happens when your weekend looks like this, I guess!

SEA @ SF

Sigh.  7-2.  Creamed too.  Three hits in five innings.  Sounds like the the hitting problems of last year may not be completely fixed, eh?  Lincecum still not doing so well because he had a huge raise and contract now and that’s why the word “ironic” was invented.  Actually I’m going to chalk that up to it being spring training and he’s just experimenting.  Yeah, that’s it.  DeRosa continues to play some decent small ball.   

SF @ COL

Yay!  8-2.  Creaming the opposition this time.  (Wait, that sounds gross.)  Way to go Todd Wellemeyer on having your best spring training game yet, four scoreless innings and no walks!

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=w9w2ZXeNyF3NrD9OpUPgLE4yMqyz8ui_

OAK @ SF

Awww, bummer!  8-3.  First “rivalry” loss, and soooo close too.  Better than being clobbered, I guess.  Matt Cain not doing so hot this round, giving up five runs and eight hits.  Buster Posey still making hits though.  I like that name, Buster Posey.  Totally “famous” sounding baseball name.  How can a guy named Buster Posey not make it in baseball?

SF @ SEA

W00t!  Fine, you clobber us?  We’ll clobber you back!  9-3.  Kevin Pucetas retires nine Mariners and extends his scoreless inning streak to lucky number seven.

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=OGq_pA_PLTVqLD8eSS5hP2J0moMZ9_sS

MIL @ SF

And we end with a bummer.  9-4.  Nuff said.

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=sncWzX5LvDFhQGZKpCU_4cco_JCsZvoJ

Three wins, two losses and one new faucet.  Not a bad weekend, all-in-all.  It feels kind of redundant to keep recapping all this stuff, especially when there are people out there doing a way better job of it than I.    But I guess I’ll keep doing it, because what else is there to talk about?  Would be great to actually SEE one of these games sometime, but apparently MLB.tv only likes the Yankees and Red Sox. 

Still on fake-top!

SF @ CHC

White Sox?  Check.  Cubs?  Check.  We’ve officially fake-beat Chicago. 

7-1.  And the Panda finally came through with a home run!  Bases loaded too!  Maybe he was just waiting for the perfect moment?  Odd that for both the Cubs and the White Sox, we beat ‘em with five runs in one inning.

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=Kx_M_sU3fOy4oiyHfcEhJ9Kp717mfA_A

CWS @ SF

6-1 for the make-believe Cactus League.  I was worried there for a second that I wasn’t going to be able to rub a win into a White Sox fan’s face that I know, but luckily they pulled together in the eighth for five runs!  Thank you Jhonny Nunez for your pitching.

Seems like the trend is to start off slow and score later.  I guess that’s a good thing.  Better than starting off strong and petering out. 

First game for DeRosa.  Got a single.  Everyone seems to be expecting a lot from him, probably out of desperation that someone will get us on base. Hope he can live up to it.

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/QNEC-FDNiX&pid=FhRvxwx0rv8PO3PmxS475a4qeWgk4kvC

Fake #1 in the National League again, as of today.  See?