Ahira's Hangar

Yes, Opening Day is nearly upon us!

Thought I would start a thread, though I do not think I will be watching much baseball this year - still too pissed as hell over the Tigers trading Granderson last fall to care much about the rapidly approaching season.

But for those watching games, or rooting for their teams, here is a place to do so.

Ack I sort of feel the same way about my Angels, like LT going to the Jets, Valdimir Guerrero (the reason I intially became an LAA fan) is now the DH in Texas, John Lackey to Boston and Chone Figgins to Seattle. Seattle, with Henandez, Cliff Lee, Ichiro and Figgins could seriously challenge the Angels for the division title. Once again Boston and New York seriously stacked, Philly now has Roy Halladay (and could have kept Lee, now that: Hamels, Halladay, Lee would have been an awesome starting rotation) and shouldn't miss a beat. Oakland, Minnesota, LA and a healthier looking Mets squad look good too...

I will admit that if I were not going to be at work this afternoon, I would probably watch the Tigers season opener out in Kansas City. That is due to the starting pitching match up of Verlander v. Greinke, which should be a dandy if both guys are in form.

I have hopes that the Braves can send Bobby Cox off in his last season coaching with a playoff berth. Not much chance of overtaking the Phillies for the division, they're too stacked. But the wildcard is a real possibility. Also hoping for Jason Heyward to have a rookie of the year season. Haven't seen this much buzz over a young Brave since Dale Murphy first came up.

After Cox's long and illustrious career, one final playoff would be a fine way to retire.

Heyward's a stud! Keep Chipper healthy and your dream could become reality!

Unfortunately, I think Chipper will retire this year. Maybe even midseason. I think that oblique muscle injury just is never going to fully heal. He'll play for a couple weeks then be out for three. Prado will have to take over 3b.

The Tigers started out the season with a pretty good winning record after three series. The slappies I know were getting all excited. I kept telling them - the Tiggies have only played AAA teams in Cleveland (whose fans deserve soooooooooo much better than their management has given them in gutting a very good team) and Kansas City - wait until they play someone good.

Well, they are being exposed in a big way in their first series outside the bottom dwellers in the Al Central. God, they have sucked against the Mariners!

Two good stories about the Tigers in this young season:

Dontrelle Willis has made the big team and has pitched OK. After the last two years I have actually come to respect him a lot, as he has not made one public whine or complaint about his various problems, and has not uttered a single word about his stints in the minors while working on those problems. Obviously you want a guy on your own team playing well - but darn it - the guy has gotten my respect with his humble and classy behavior, and I think I would be rooting for him no matter what team he's on.

And Magglio Ordonez is back to his old self! He had a horrible first half of the season last year, when his wife had cancer and he could not concentrate on his game. Now that she has been declared cancer free, he is relaxed and playing like the Maggs we know and love. And I am so glad his wife is better! (That's the more important thing, really).

Ordonez was a beast when he played for the White Sox here. And I always liked Dontrelle even when he played for the hated Marlins <grin>.

My braves gave Colorado their first no hitter. Oh vey, it might be a long season. We depend on the long ball too much.

Yes, Ubaldo (love that name!!! ) Jiminez got the first no hitter in Rockies history last night.

And the Cardinals and Mets played a twenty inning game! Crazy! Apparently they had pitchers playing in the outfield and position players pitching - with no scoring until something like the eighteenth inning!

Ernie Harwell passed away tonight.

How I loved that old man.

I never heard him, but read a lot of praise of him in the Atlanta paper. Apparently he called the minor league games for the team we had before we got the Braves, the Crackers.

He was one of the classiest human beings to ever live upon the planet - kind, gentle, generous, and a true gentleman in the best sense of the word.

I believe that the Atlanta team traded Harwell to the Brooklyn Dodgers (at least I think it might have been the Dodgers) for an actual player - I think it might be the only time a team has ever been willing to trade a player for an announcer. That is how good he was at his job - and a superb human being as well.

perfect game!