I finally make it to Kauffman Stadium, and the Kansas City Royals still stink

When Kauffman (nee Royals) Stadium opened years ago, I remember the announcers cooing about how cool the fountains were. Presumably they concentrated their gaze beyond the grass because the grass was plastic. Kansas City prides itself as the city of fountains, and through the many times I’d visited over the years I’d never managed to […]

What’s the best time zone for baseball fans?

Road trips are rough on major league teams, particularly when making the big leap from Eastern time to Pacific time or vice versa. It’s also an issue for us baseball fans, who have to show nimble ingenuity to catch the broadcasts of our favorite teams. This week it’s been a trade-off for me: the San […]

After the first full week of play, some startling names atop the baseball standings

As I write this post, the Yankees and Red Sox (again!) are playing on the Sunday night telecast. If the Yankees win, they’ll manage a tie in first place of the American League East not with the Sox but with the Baltimore Orioles. Whoa. And check the AL Central standings. The Indians, who (be honest) […]

What cap will Manny Ramirez wear on his Hall of Fame plaque?

That’s a question that’s likely to remain hypothetical. Manny Ramirez slipped away quietly into retirement Friday after it was revealed he flunked a drug screening. Unless some future commissioner grants a pardon for the stars of the Steroid Era, I doubt Manny will ever make the Baseball Hall of Fame. He has the stats to justify […]

Adrian Gonzalez in the American League East: This should be interesting

Is this guy eager to play ball or what? Adrian Gonzalez checked in to the Boston training camp in Florida yesterday, the first Red Sox player to do so. It will be fascinating to see how Gonzalez does in his first season for the BoSox after five seasons with the San Diego Padres. I have […]

With “Jesus” at his side, Manny to be Manny in Tampa Bay

Multiple reports tonight citing unnamed sources say that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon will be reunited this season as members of the Tampa Bay Rays. While the news isn’t quite as big in 2011 as it would have been a few years ago, it’s still worth a “wow.” Manny and Johnny, the former with his dreads […]

Great baseball rivalries: Yankees and Red Sox

[picapp align=”center” wrap=”false” link=”term=Babe+Ruth&iid=4606837″ src=”f/d/d/8/New_Yorks_dfce.jpg?adImageId=12802092&imageId=4606837″ width=”500″ height=”356″ /] It all goes back to the Bambino. Once Babe Ruth moved to New York from Boston, the die was cast for the greatest baseball rivalry of them all. The two franchises have battled venomously ever since, and only in the last decade have the Red Sox (this […]

Ironic offer from MLB.com: A cold-weather Cubs cap

I’m fighting off the common cold, swine flu or for all I know bubonic plague tonight, so I’ll make this quick. I got an e-mail from mlb.com pointing out that they’re having a post-season sale. Batting practice caps — those ugly variants on regular caps with goofy curved side panels — are just $9.99. I […]

Iconic baseball caps: Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were eliminated from the American League playoffs today by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as good an occasion as any to honor the Red Sox cap for its iconic status. I’ve had occasional flirtations with the BoSox but mostly an uneasy relationship over the years. My first youth baseball team […]

The Twins win, and we’re stuck with more games in that horrid dome

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-5 in 12 innings Tuesday night to win the American League Central title, and I’m not happy. Not because the Twins won per se. They’ve been a terrific story this season, charging from behind to tie the Tigers and force the one-game playoff for the division title. What […]