BASEBALL!

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Kobi

Ok my guys salvaged one game in Philly and that might only be because we hit a line drive off Cole Hamels wrist forcing him out of the game.

I was sighing in relief that interleague play was over and just realized we are on the way to Houston to play the Astros this weekend.

I have 2 questions for baseballers:

1. Has your team become very commericialized? The BoSox have official <whatevers>. And are adding more. We have an official ice cream, hot dog, mri providers, hospital, coffee etc. Today I picked up some freakin cheese doodles......the official cheese doodle of the Boston Red Sox. It's weird.

2. What does the month of September look like for your team? I was noticing the Sox play only the Yanks, Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays over and over the entire month. Is anyone/everyone else playing only division teams the last month?

Have to agree on both 1 & 2! The Giants (and the A's- both here in the Bay Area of CA) have "Official" everything!! All of the ball park give-a-ways have logos of sponsors on them. Although, they do hand out some pretty kewl stuff especially for kids and I like that because it is so damn expensive for families to go to a game these days.

Something that has always bothered me is that our park is AT&T park- I know it has to do with finances, but it was built about 10 years ago and is really great and I wish it had a name from baseball, not a huge corporation. The park was designed well and located well for public transportation and even getting in and out of SF easily. It is nice looking and incorporates many of what makes the great old parks so beautiful like red brick plus has nice walkways along the waterfront for all to enjoy- not just baseball goers. Not a bad seat in the place, really- so you can see everything well even if you are in the "cheap seats." But I keep thinking that parks like Fenway & Wrigley just sound like baseball!

All of SF's home games have sold out this season- and actually have for a few years since the new park was built. Yes, winning the WS is part of it, but SF is a baseball city. It does have working class immigrant roots historically that were more about fishing and the docks. And there is also the move back in the 50's from NY that drew a lot of people that did the "go west" thing for economic opportunities.

You know, I would really like to own Ken Burn's history of the game as well as his series on the "Negro League." The game is far more than a sport- really is.

Yes, SF is playing all divisional teams the last month. I think it is like this across the MLB for all the pre- play off excitement between rivals.

OK, I am nervous about SF and the Tigers tonight- they just don't have any consistency with hitting and I think this is what will continue to give us grief. Yeah- SF has fantastic pitchers and some great defensive players, but, the teams that I think will get to the WS have some bats, too!

I'm stocked that Bochy is going to manage the NL All Stars- he is quite the strategist. Doesn't look like we will have anyone on the NL roster except pitchers. Posey & Sanchez are injured and they might have made it.