The Morning Offering - June 12, 2005

Written by Worm on June 12, 2005

Deep Thoughts, by Worm
Sometimes, when I’m sitting at home on a Saturday night and watching baseball, I can get pretty philosophical. So it was last night, when I asked myself this question: Where’s the best place to watch a baseball game, at home on TV, at a bar, or at the ballpark?

Like any true philosopher, I didn’t come up with a particularly meaningful answer. The most sociable place to watch a game would obviously be at a bar, especially if, like me, you can’t see too good, and have to keep asking the person next to you what the score is. Other advantages are that the beer is cheaper than at the ballpark, and your beverage selection is much wider. (Like TiVo. This also means that TiVo, and non-baseball superfans like him, can pretend to follow the game while getting drunk on fruity beverages.) There’s usually other barflies who are into the game at a bar, so people won’t think you’re so weird for screaming about a base hit, which is nice.

Seeing a game at the stadium is every baseball fan’s duty. Only here can you choose what you want to see. Only here can you see just how fast a fastball truly is, and how quick and athletic some of the players are. For a shared baseball experience, nothing can beat a day at a packed ballpark. Also, this is the only place where you can throw things at a ballplayer if he screws up a big play. Not that I’m recommending this, I’m just saying. Ah yes, a day at the ballpark is a good day.

Watching the games at home on TV takes you away from the crowds, and while this can take some of the euphoria out of watching a good game, it can add some focus to the serious baseball fan. Given the great camera work by most baseball broadcasts, this is the best place to scout baseball teams. It's a great way to learn the different pitches that pitchers throw, and the strengths and weaknesses of different hitters. And one of my favorite parts of watching from home is that it’s the one place you can watch the game from a reclining position. Yeah, I’m lazy.

Any other baseball philosophers out there? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or go ahead and vote in this pole.

Baseball Knowledge for Your Roto Team
Here’s some more practical baseball information: Last night, J.P. Howell made his major league debut, starting for the Kansas City Royals against the hot-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks. He limited them to one run and four hits through five innings for the win, while striking out eight batters, tying a record for a Royals pitching debut. Not bad. This sounds like a kid to keep an eye on.

Just keep a few things in mind, though. First, on the positive side, the Royals don’t have much of a pitching staff, so Howell will likely have every opportunity to prove he can contribute on the major league level. On the other hand, even if he is as good as he appeared in his first start, his value to fantasy leaguers will be limited by the Royals offense, or lack thereof. And I’m not quite sold on how representative this first start is of his ability. Clearly he’s got some nice stuff, to be striking out eight batters in his first start, but he was able to take advantage of some strikeout prone players in Arizona’s lineup with a sharp breaking ball. I’d like to see a bit more of his fastball to get a better feeling of whether he can be consistently dominant.

That’s it from me this Sunday morning. I hope all you churchy folk have a very holy day. For my part, my religion is being a Yankee fan. That is where I place my blind faith. And while it seems I have been forsaken of late, I will be tuning in as faithfully as ever this afternoon. Peace.

-- Written by Worm on June 12, 2005