The Frinklin and Fred Show

A winning day for the Mrs. Frinklin

The Mrs. Frinklin had a very successful day today. First she took 2nd place in Susie's contest over at Practical Penumbra, which is very cool. We of the Frinklin household (well, me and the pets) are very proud of her.

She also was a some vendors meeting today up at Angels Field, and she won a nice basketful of cool Angels schwag. She even let me keep the hat.

Is Spring Football over already

Stewart Mandel has an assortment of pieces over on SI about college football. College football for me is the only thing close to baseball, but MAN is that early. Local mentions: WSU Josh Swogger (thought it seemed that Alex Brink had a better spring) and the awful UW offense.

Full Frontal Nerdity

The wife has pretty much assured me I am a nerd. See the comments here and here for verification. Its just something we have to deal with, in fact she secretly thinks I’m adorable when I’m pontificating on the beloved Mariners or comic books or video games, or (God help me) Star Trek. At least I hope she does. Okay, maybe not “adorable” as much as “tolerable”.

Yes, I am a Star Trek fan. I’m not a trekker or trekkie or any such thing. I don’t see the show as the pinnacle of human development, nor does it represent the ideal human condition. I do not even own a uniform, nor have I ever worn any Vulcan ears. I have, however, been to one convention, it was the geekiest thing I’ve ever done, and I speak as someone who has been to San Diego Comic-Con 3 times. I do watch Enterprise, and it does aggravate me at times, but I think the show is better than people think. Like many fans, the shows continuity glitches drive me nuts, and I’m not too pleased with how Vulcans are shown, but I deal with it and enjoy the show. The last few new episodes have been as good as DS9 in its prime, and I look forward to it continuing. This time last year I was hoping the show would just die already.

My inner and outer geek was very please with the announcement of a sequel to My Favorite Game Ever: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Unfortunately knowing KOTOR 2 is right around the corner has gotten me back into the original game. I don’t think this pleases the wife. I was, ahh.. a tad obsessed when the game first came out. She was too come to think of it. The Mrs. and I raced to the end. She won, but I just kept going, and going, and… you get the picture. I’m much better now, don’t worry.

Ichiro or Ichi-NO? David Locke asks...

Locke's piece in this mornings P-I would have been unthinkable a year-and-half ago. Hell, even today he will get many complaints. The numbers do not lie though; Ichiro isn’t worth what he’s paid right now. I wonder how Mariner Nation would have reacted to the M’s letting Ichiro walk and signing Vladimir Guerrero in his stead. I have mixed feelings here, because I think Ichiro is just plain cool. Watching him work is one of the great joys of being a Mariner fan. The problem is its not working as well as it did in the beginning

GOOOOOAAA---er, I mean RUNNNN

Jayson Stark has an interesting piece on the planned Baseball World Cup in 2005. It really is brilliant, a global baseball tournament with the best players involved, so it’s almost destined not to happen. I hate to be pessimistic, but MLB has been utterly feckless for too long; I can easily see them screwing this up. Like Stark says, Wes Obermueller vs Masao Kida for the world championship! Stark is a lot more confident than I am. I’ll believe it when I see it.

I managed to live through the day

As you might have surmised from the previous post, I tend to suffer from migraines. I've had them all my life. Right now I get one about once a month, which is waaaay less than I used to. I've gone through times were I'd get them every week. It's just not pleasant, and I thank my employer for putting up with me.

M's Win! M's Win! The Beloved Mariners get off the schneid (is that the correct spelling? Not finding it on my spellcheck for some reason) with a 7-5 win at Oriole Park. Jolbret Cabrera raises his average all the way up to .158 with a 2 run double, and Dan Wilson (?!?) homered. All was not perfect though: those were the only extra base hits out of 13 total, and Gil Meche was terrible. Hooray for our team anyway.

Derek Jeter is now 0-28. I hate the Yankees, but this is getting painful.

Congratulations to former Mariner Brian Falkenborg, who made his ML debut with the Dodgers tonight.

Jeff from Fire Bavasi/Leone for Third commented that the Giants-sans-Barry Bonds lineup was "quite possibly the worst lineup I've ever seen." Well Jeff, I can top you. I watched the Well-Liked Padres take on the Expos tonight. Your Expo starting lineup:
Endy Chavez-CF
Orlando Cabrera-SS
Jose Vidro-2B
Brad Wilkerson-1B
Tony Batista-3B
Matt Cepicky-LF
Ron Calloway-RF
Brian Schneider-C
Now, Vidro is a legit All-Star, and Cabrera and Wilkerson are fine players, so that might mean the Giants did have a better lineup, but I dare anyone to find a weaker OF than Cepicky-Chavez-Calloway. All you need to know: Cepicky was recently called up from AAA Edmonton. He was killing the PCL at the time with a .074 average. Ismael Valdez managed to shut this motley crew out.

Read this before my head explodes....

Migraines just SUCK.

Miscellaneous sports bits

Buried down at the bottom of Gammon’s column about Manny Ramirez being a grown-up is a snippet about the Beloved M’s. It isn’t particularly pleasant either, mentioning how bad we need a healthy Rafael Soriano (we know) and that neither Meche or Piniero is 100%. In fact Pinieiro is “down 4-5 MPH” according to his sources.
That cannot be good.

Thanks for playing Kevin Jarvis, and enjoy our lovely parting gifts!

People ask my why I hate basketball. This is why: two talented teams, half-dozen All-Stars on the court, overtime, and NEITHER team can get to 100 points. Just sad.Where have you gone Doug Moe, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

The Beloved Seahawks (Yes, they do count as such, at least the last couple years. For most of the 90's they were the justifiably ignored Seahawks) picked up a couple defensive tackles in the draft. They didn't have a bad draft, just not an exciting one.

If memory serves me right...

The Mrs. Frinklin and I are devotees of the Food Network. I’m not quite sure how it happened though. For a long time I thought about food on TV like Jerry Seinfeld did: Can’t smell it, can’t taste it, what’s the point? I converted through the power of Iron Chef. For those of you who have not seen the Iron Chef, a quick explanation: Two accomplished chefs meet in a one-hour cookoff, using a special ingrediant neither of them know what is beforehand.

My lovely wife was of course the reason behind this; she was fan long before me. At first, I was hesitant; a badly dubbed Japanese cooking show hosted by seemingly insane James Bond villain? Sorry hun, it’s not really my thing. I relented though, and we spent a Saturday night at home watching a 2-hour special. The first featured Iron Chef Kenichi, as reserved a fellow wearing bright yellow satin pajamas can be, challenged by a slightly insane chef who seemed to think he was a medieval samurai. This was followed by a rematch between the American Bobby Flay (who seemed like a great big jerk) versus Iron Chef Morimoto, who seemed cool. Iron Chef hooked me by about halfway through the first hour. It’s still a favorite. Not a show you seek out, but one of the basic-cable standbys that seem to be on whenever you need it. Everyone who has cable has these shows. For me it is Iron Chef, Unwrapped (another Food Network addiction) Sportscenter, The Planet’s Funniest Animals, and Modern Marvels. No matter what time it is, day or night, at least one of those shows is on. If none of them is, then I might have to think. No one wants that.

Therefore, the Mrs. Frinklin and I were anxiously awaiting Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters. It isn’t the first American version of Iron Chef. There was a short-lived Iron Chef America on UPN a couple years ago hosted by William Shatner, but it slipped by unnoticed, even by us. This new one, this could be good. It was on The Food Network, where it belongs. Its Iron Chefs were American culinary royalty; Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, and the aforementioned great big jerk Bobby Flay. To top it off, this version would import two Japanese Iron Chefs: Miramoto and Sakai. Sakai was always my favorite: a French specialist who never loses his cool and usually wins. Now, all four episodes are in, and the Frinklin Household reaction:

Ehhhhh…….

It was okay. It was not great. I really began to wonder if the show would ever translate, that one of its best points is its essential Japanese weirdness. The American version seemed to slick, too streamlined. Instead of Liberace outfits, the new “chairman” wore an understated black suit. Instead of the bizarre, medieval theme running though Kitchen Stadium, everything was muted; more Pottery Barn-ish. Instead of the classic Day-Glo satin outfits, our Iron Chefs wore light blue smocks, almost what you would expect the cooks about the starship Enterprise would wear. Alton Brown was overworked as both the play-by-play and color guy, and the “field reporter” was so bland I can’t remember his face let alone his name. For the most part, they got the judges right, the same mix of food people and D-level celebrities. I did miss the politician though; almost inevitably, the Japanese version would have a Lower House Member on it. Wouldn’t you love to see Tom DeLay or Jane Harmon attempt to explain why they don’t like sashimi? One thing: if you’re going to have a Japanese chefs on, don’t have a judge who “don’t like it uncooked.” C’mon, embrace diversity Mr. Used-to-be-Big-Pussy.

Despite the missing kitsch factor, the show was enjoyable, if just for the dazzling creations. It was disheartening to see neither of the Japanese chefs win. I think Sakai had a very good chance until he came up with trout flavored ice cream. I guess some things are too weird for Iron Chef America.

Maybe it should be Beloved Padres and Well-Liked Mariners

When do we change from "it's still early" to "this team may just suck"? Could it be when the M's go down to Texas and are in danger of being swept? Yesterday the immortal Joaquin Benoit held them to 5 hits (none of them for extra bases) and 1 walk in 6 innings. Jay Powell and Jeff Nelson each give up a hit, but nothing comes out of it. the day before they manage to score 8 runs, considering this offense, that's about a weeks production, but still lose as Joel Piniero can't seem to get anything over that isn't rocketed back past him. Quick quiz: What are 3.48, 6.23, 6.30, 6.75, 8.46? Those would be the ERAs of 5 pitchers used on Friday:Villone, Hasagawa, Jarvis, Myers and Piniero. How many of you thought that by the 25th of April Kevin Jarvis would have a better ERA than Joel? I'm not in total despair.. yet.

An actual conversation between the Frinklins

It's 9:40 in the evening. Mrs. Frinklin has updated her blog with a bizarre story from work, and I'm playing video games. She's finished, and now she's going to watch TV.

"Aren't you watching Scrubs?" she asks. Scrubs in one of our favorite shows, and if you haven't seen it, you should.

"No, I didn't realize it was on", I tell her.

"Well you need to watch it, or it will get canceled."
"Not really" I say, "We're not a Neilson family, no one cares what we watch."

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about Neilson.” She snaps, “I’m talking about you watching.”

"So if the show goes off the air, it's my fault?"

"Yes it is, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Umm.. Okay.

I can't tell you to vote for her, cuz there is no voting...

...but the Mrs Frinklin has entered Susie's contest over at Practical Penumbra. Check it out.

Eli, the Chargers and other sports bits

As you might expect, here in San Diego we’ve heard a lot about Eli Manning and his dad. For those not paying attention: Yesterday it leaked that Archie asked the Chargers not to take his boy with the first pick as he’d much rather go to New York and play for the Giants. The reaction has been a bit more muted than you would expect. Archie’s reasoning is that he doesn’t want Eli to play for a terrible team as he did. And we’re pretty much fine with that. San Diego knows it has a terrible team, and so far, people are not especially angry with him. It also helps that most people aren’t paying attention. The Chargers have had a top-5 pick so often it loses its interest. Moreover, the Padres are off to a nice start playing in their downtown palace, and most Charger news these days focuses on where they will be playing in a couple years anyway. It makes sense that the team is the leaker here; it gives them an out. The rumors are that Phillip Rivers is the guy they want, and a trade with the Giants might get them a couple extra bodies as well. They really aren’t in a position where a QB makes a bit of difference anyway. This team needs help everywhere.

Hey, we here at Frinklin Speaks are still on the Aaron Miles bandwagon. Your future NL Rookie of the Year is holding up nicely at .304-.333-.522 with 2 homers and 8 runs scored. Really, need to better than 2 walks though. I’ve also been thinking about an AL candidate. The most worthy (read: guy who’s been in the minors forever and/or come out of nowhere) is Bubba Crosby, but I have a strict No-Yankee rule. Any suggestions?

Steve over at Mariners Wheelhouse has a very detailed post about the M’s precarious OF defense. It may be far worse than we thought.

Ken Rosenthal Needs New Sources

I checked out Ken Rosenthal's latest "Inside Dish" and found something rather amusing. It's concerning Magglio Ordonez wanting to improve on the Garrett Anderson deal.

...Ordonez is in a different position than Anderson, whom one scout says "might be the best player in the A.L.".

I had to read that a couple times before fully comprehending that. Garret Anderson best player in the AL? Now, I understand the current obsession with GA: he's a nice player, and has been underrated for sometime. These days he falls into the "so many people say he's underrated he's overrated." Best player in the AL though? Come on now; he's not the best player on the Angels. He may well be third. He certainly isn't the best OF in the AL, that would be Carlos Beltran. The same Carlos Beltran that everyone at USS Mariner is urging the M's to go after. I'd love to see it, but I can't imagine Seattle pursuing a Scott Boras player.

Woah...

Goodness gracious I don't know how much better baseball can get than the last 2 games. Yesterday's marathon was amazing, tonight even more so. Two 2-1 games? A Balk-off? Raul Ibanez hitting a Walkoff HR? Four in a row and only 2 games out? Light at the end of the tunnel, and it might NOT be a train.

Well this was unexpected...

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

Limpy

I seemed to have hurt myself, my foot actually. I am not entirely sure when or even how it happened, but I have a slight sprain of either the foot or the ankle. It’s not especially painful, except when I’m walking or being jumped on by wild dogs (Something that happens with alarming frequency in the Frinklin household). The walking part bothers me. I have no problem limping around the house, in fact it is rather pleasant: makes the Missus feel bad for me, and excuses me from random household chores. Work is a problem though. I work in a large office, and I hate limping there. I’m not the most impressive physical specimen, and adding the limping makes me look especially sad. Add to that I wore my nice corduroy pants today, so now I’m limping and zip-zipping around everywhere. I’m pretty sure people who don’t know me think I must be the retarded kid we hired for the mailroom. To top it all this afternoon I was heading the lunchroom. The doors there open out, but for some inexplicable reason I forgot this and tried to open them in. Meaning I walked right smack into the door. Maybe I AM the retarded mailroom kid.

This will STUN the Mrs. Frinklin

The Missus was certain I'd do better than this. And yes honey, I even picked the damn Klingon answer!

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

Saw this one coming...

The Canuckleheads lose game 7 at home. There will be a lot written about this team, mostly due to Bertuzzi. Losing him blew the spine out of this team, and I hope Todd Bertuzzi knows it. Six weeks ago Vancouver was a serious contender for the Stanley Cup, and now they have a nice long off-season. They loss to a game, but clearly inferior Flames team. It's just a damned shame.

Clarett and Williams

I meant to write a long post about the audacity of the NFL and this court case, but I got sidetracked by the ridiculously exciting Mariner and Canuck games. My thoughts can be distilled to this: I don't particularly like Maurice Clarett, I don't know how talented he really is, but his case will be settled in his favor, as it should be. I don't particulary like the idea of 19-year olds in the NFL draft, I think teenagers have hastened the ruin of the NBA, and I'd hate to see the same happen to football. I really feel sorry about Mike Williams though. He played by the rules, wasn't part of the suit, and declared only when the NFL stated they would not be appealing any further. Now he's out of the draft, he's signed with an agent and burned his NCAA eligibilty. The NFL has stated that he will be eligable for a supplemental draft if he is allowed in the draft at all. How much will that cost him? Currently Mike Williams stands anywhere from the 3rd WR picked to about the 8th in an incredibly WR intensive draft. So who is going to need Mike Williams, and be willing to waste NEXT years 1st round pick? The NFL hates Maurice Clarett for challenging them in court, and Mike Williams will probably pay millions for it.

And the crowd goes wild...

Well hot damn, we actually have a winning streak. It's amazing what happens when you start hitting homers instead of singles, ain't it? Really my sarcasm is unwarranted. This was what the M's were looking for all season: Boone, Ibanez and Sandfrog go deep, Ichiro goes 3-4 with a SB and never is heard a discouraging word. Keep it kids, the A's are back tomorrow, but Seattle lucks out and gets Redman and Harden in the first 2 games. Not easy, but winnable.

Not only did the Beloved M's win, but the well-liked Padres did too. I had given up on this game; I'm rather ashamed to say. It was 5-3, and I left to put away the groceries. Next thing I know, I hear Klesko hits a walk-off. Beautiful...

If you're a sports fan, and I'm assuming you are, tomorrow is a can't miss in the NHL. Hockey game 7's are just unbelievably exciting, and tomorrow Boston-Montreal and Calgary-Vancouver will settle things. Plus on Tuesday Toronto and Ottawa will have a game 7, and they have the added bonus of just hating each other. Playoff hockey is unreal. The most exciting sporting event of my life was a Canucks-Blackhawks playoff game, and nothing comes close to it.

Bored with your name?

Try this

Frinklin on the Movies

The Mrs. Frinklin and I went out the movies yesterday afternoon. We decided-check that, I decided and she let me- to see Hellboy. Again, I'm a great big geek (just ask her) so I kinda have to see all comic-book movies. At least it wasn't The Punisher, that I have to see on my own. Anyway, it was... okay. I enjoyed it, it was typical big, stupid summer movie fun. Ron Pearlman flashes some with while buried under the Hellboy makeup, and director Guillermo del Toro keeps the pacing quick. However, the movie is overloaded with goofy "occult" references, and spins a lot of bizarre alternate history like Rasputin being the (immortal) villian, WWII not ending until the mid-50s, things like that.

We also saw three memorable previews. Van Helsing: which looks very similar to Hellboy. Sky Captain and World of Tomorrow, this looks very cool to me, but judging by the reaction of the theater, I may be the only one to see it. We also saw the preview to the utterly abhorent White Chicks, a vehicle for 2 of the less-talented Wayans brothers. They star as two FBI agents who have to impersonate Hilton-sister knockoffs. Yes, you read that right. This makes Juwanna Man look brilliant by comparison.

Sandfrog saves the day, and other sports news

Sandfrog makes his Mariner debut and goes 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Moyer looks like he's 39 again, going 8 very strong innings. Top it off with Guardado racking his first Mariner save, and you've got the M's first home win of 2004. Not all is perfect though: still only 2 extra base hits, one by Dan Wilson, and his hot start should be screeching to a halt any day now. Oh, and to those who booed Jeff Nelson: Shut the hell up. All Nellie did was say what most Mariner fans believed last year, and he was punished for it. Jeff Nelson is a Mariner hero and should be treated as such.

While the beloved M's were winning, so were the well-liked San Diego Padres. After getting stuffed by the Big Unit last night, the Pads got 3 off of Brandon Webb and a fairly strong start (6 IP, 5H 2ER) from Ismael Valdez. Ismael Valdez??

To top it off, the Canuckleheads managed a stay of execution, beating the Flames in double-OT up in Calgary, even after blowing a 4-0 lead. I'm a big Canucks fan, but I thought the Bertuzzi Incident had totaly demoralized this easily-shaken team. Good to see I was wrong.

Only minus in the sports world: the Rockets lost to the Forces Of Evil on a last second Shaq putback dunk. Jim Jackson had a shot to win, but he missed. Oh, and if anyone doubts why I hate NBA basketball: the final score of a playoff game featuring a half-dozen HOFers and at least 3 other All-Stars: 72-71. Yep, 48 minutes of basketball, 143 total points.

Really? A qep'a'?

I consider myself a Star Trek fan. I've seen all the movies, watched most of the series (except Voyager, that was terrible), and I've even been to 1 convention. I don't consider myself a trekkie or trekker or whatever else you wish to call them. I just enjoy a good, goofy space opera.

These people scare me. This is Yahoo story about the upcoming documentary Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water. It follows the annual Klingon Language Institute conference. Excuse me, the "qep'a' (Klingon for conference, natch). My personal fave: Denver- based linguist Dr. d'Armand Speers who only spoke Klingon to his son until age three-and-a-half. Does that qualify as child abuse?

NBA: It's (sorta-kinda-not-really) FANTASTIC

I've never been less interested in the NBA than I am right now. It's due party to the relative lousiness of the SuperSonics. (Has anyone else noticed the Sonics have the same obsessions over "character"? Is the Sonics endless mediocrity the destiny of the M's. Answers: Yes and Most Likely.) My dislike for the NBA is also due to the fact that the current games are damn-near unwatchable. So these predictions should be roundly ignored; as they are fairly uneducated.

Western-Round 1
#1 Minnesota over #8 Denver in 5
-Melo and the Nuggets will steal at least 1 game, and give the T-Wolves nightmares in the others, but Minnesota is a markedly better team.

#2 Los Angeles over #7 Houston in 6
-Nothing the Lake Show does will shock me. They could lose here, or pull a Moses Malone (Fo,Fo,Fo). The current Rockets are a crime against the sport: the best passing big man since Walton is stuck with a defense-crazed coach and two munchkin guards who think it's illegal to go more than 12 seconds between shots.

#3 San Antonio over #6 Memphis in 6
-A couple weeks ago I thought this was a great pick for an upset, but the Grizz have been so stone cold since then I've reconsidered. Memphis is just about my favorite team right now, they play something close to team basketball, and Hubie Brown is just fun. Still, the incredibly boring Spurs are the better team.

#5 Dallas over #4 Sacramento in 7
-Yeah I know the Mavs have never played the Kings very well. Yeah, I know they don't even bother playing defense anymore. Yeah, I know they'd have to win a game 7 on the road. Either team could win this, but I have to pick at least one upset.

Eastern-Round 1
#1 Indiana over #8 Boston in 4
-The Celtics are just terrible. This won't even be a series.

#2 New Jersey over #7 New York in 5
-So who actually plays for the Knicks these days? Doesn't matter: If Kidd, Martin and Jefferson are healthy NY will go quick. Isiah might have this team onthe right track though. Just like baseball: When the NY team is good, the league is stong.

#3 Detroit over #6 Milwuakee in 4
-Terry Porter has done an amazing job with the Bucks. This actually kinda hurts me, because anyone as crazy as George Karl has me as a fan. Oh, and I don't care if somewhere down the road Darko is the next Nowitzki, picking him over Melo is just dumb.

#4 Miami over #5 New Orleans in 7
-Stan Van Gundy can really coach. Who knew? Tim Floyd can't coach a lick. Who didn't know?

Why I hate Fox, part 1,251

According to SI's John Donovan, tomorow's Red Sox-Yankee game will feature the debut of Scooter the talking baseball, a computer generated character voiced by the guy who plays Spongebob Squarepants. In addition to this monstrosity, FOX will also give us the "ball tracer" showing the path of pitches. It's basically the glow-puck for those of you who remember.

God I wish this was a bad joke.

please just make it stop

It's one thing to lose to the Angels and Athletics. This is whole nother story. The Rangers are a nice young team without a lot of pitching, but the M's punchless lineup went down way to easy to Chan How did I ever convince the Rangers to give me THIS much money Park. Seven innings, 8 hits, 3 walks to Olerud and a grand total of one extra base hit is just awful against Park. I know he's done well against the Mariners, but this a home game, coming off a win against a pitcher who has been a disaster since he stepped into the AL. Just awful.

This team looks so old right now. I can see them staying in last. I don't think it will happen, but it's no longer out of the question, and that scares me.

I'm a HAPPY Frinklin!

I had a rough night last night. Mrs. Frinklin and I got into a bit of an argument, and I didn't sleep real well. I woke up this morning with a headache, forgot my lunch, and found out at our morning meeting that our largest client had decided to take their business elsewhere.

Whee...

I'd been justifiably grumpy all day, and I do grumpy very well. My best monotone voice, very clipped speech, stony glares and grunts replacing actual words: I'm an expert. Naturally this drives Mrs. Frinklin nuts. She hates when "Grumpy Frinklin" shows up, and she puts a lot of effort into putting him away. She was leaving her office a little early this afternoon, and she called and did her best to cheer me up. It works too, even (especially) when I don't want it to. She puts on her cutest voice and says things like, "Pease don't be grumpy Frinklin."

"I'm not that grumpy hon, I've been doing better all day."

"You're still grumpy Frinklin, be a happy Frinklin cuz it's Friday!"

"Yes honey", I sigh. "I'm very happy it's Friday."

"I don't think you're a happy Frinklin."

"I am a happy Frinklin, really I am."

"I still don't think your telling the truth, you don't sound like a happy Frinklin."

Again I say it, just a little louder. "I'm a happy Frinklin."

"I just don't belive you."

"I'm a HAPPY Frinklin!" This time I say it loud, yelling it practically. I immediately realize my mistake. Several pairs of eyes swivel and look at me, questioning. I turn beet red, but I can't help but laugh. I'm smiling now, completely embarrassed but over being grumpy.

I don't think about this for the rest of the afternoon. I finish my workweek, and get ready to go. As she's leaving my boss, a tall dignified black woman, turns to me and says, perfectly deadpan, "Are you SURE you're a happy frinklin?"

Damnit....

Fashion show anyone?

Team uniforms obsess me. I am constantly checking for updates and new alternate jerseys. Therefore, I figure now that I have a forum, I had best use it. This might have to be a recurring subject too.

Two MLB teams have completely revamped unis for 2004, the Padres and the Blue Jays. One is decent, the other deeply flawed.

San Diego, to honor the opening of Petco Park has changed color scheme, logo and uniform. The color scheme consists of a deep blue that represents the Pacific Ocean, and a light khaki color the Padres call ?sand?. The logo is the new-look Padres script superimposed on homeplate. The only MLB logo to incorporate home, which the Padres made sure to remind everyone at the unveiling of the new look. The logo is a tad bland, but it is difficult to come up with an effective look for a team called the Padres. In addition, honestly, considering past Padre Color schemes (mustard anyone?), it is as good as can be expected.

The uniforms themselves come in three flavors. The first is the traditional home whites, with the Padres script across the chest, with blue and sand piping at the tips of the sleeves. They?re nice, if oddly derivative of the Milwaukee Brewers. The home hats are blue, with a slightly reworked interlocking SD logo. The road uniforms are actually rather daring, forgoing the traditional road greys in favor of the sand (ESPN calls it ?puke?) color. The road unis also lack the Padres script, using an oddly sized San Diego across the chest. The blue trim on the road uniforms seems to look more purple than blue. The Pads have separate road hats: the same blue, but this time with a sand-colored SD logo. There is also an alternate: a blue version of the home jersey. This alternate is used both home and road, and when combined with the sand colored pants and road hat makes up the best Padre look.
Final Grade B

Like the Padres, Toronto has a checkered history with uniforms. From the early days of the franchise, the Jays have favored a futuristic look, often incorporating odd piping and horrid soccer-style numbers. The new logo is again very swoopy and futuristic, with a sleek and stylized Blue Jay head interlocked with the word JAYS. The home jersey is markedly bland: white with the logo across the chest, no other piping or markings. The road uniforms are just as bland as the home; grey with Toronto across the chest, in the same stylized font. There is also a black (original, isn?t it?) alternate. It?s the same as the white, just the logo, no other markings. The only hat is an odd steel gray color with shortened logo, with a stylized ?T? replacing ?Jays?. The most remarkable thing about the Blue Jays new look, other than its simplicity, is the utter lack of the color blue. Other than a splash in the logo, the Jays do not incorporate blue at all. Moreover, did the world really need another black jersey? Not since those hideous (and sickeningly still in use) black, orange and blue Met jerseys has an alternate been so inappropriate. The Blue Jay name has such possibilities, and it?s obvious Toronto management is learning the value of simplification, but these unis don?t come close to the mark.
Final Grade D

Texas has introduced a new alternate home jersey. It is a white sleeveless jersey with red and blue piping, a red T logo at the upper right chest and blue numbers at the lower left belly. The look is completed with a blue undershirt and a waving Texas flag on the left sleeve. It?s an ok look, but not a particularly distinctive one, reminding me of both the Angels and the Reds.

Several teams have made bits and pieces changes. The Colorado Rockies have introduced a predictably hideous purple cap, and the Mariners have dropped their teal-billed option. Minnesota has a new alternate cap, a garish red 70?s throwback that will undoubtedly sell very well. San Francisco has dropped all its alternate jersey options, preferring the simple home (off) whites, road greys and black hats. Anaheim has dropped the word ?Anaheim? off their road jersey: new owner Arte Moreno wants his Halos to be known as ?Southern California?s Team?. Baltimore has reintroduced orange lettering the home jersey, which is both a throwback to the sixties, and a welcome relief from the oppressive use of black in uniforms. The biggest mess is the continued use of cap patches. Every team will wear one the entire first week of the season commemorating the opening of the season. What, you have a better use for your $25.99?

All is right with the world.. today anyway

M's Win, M's (finally) Win...

Franklin goes 8 sharp inning, Ibanez drives in a pair, and Guardado works a fairly easy ninth. The Mariners climb (!?!?) up to 2-7, and avoid a second 3-game sweep at the hands of the Angels. Of course, I didn't watch, so the FILF stands at 100%.

Other M's news:

Seattle is featured in Jayson Stark's latest article on ESPN.com. It's a feature on MLB slow starts, and whether they are Illusion or Reality. The M's come out okay, as the consensus is the team is to talented to keep scuffling. There are a couple caveats from scouts though:

Nevertheless, one scout who has followed them says, "It's trouble in Emerald City. They're getting old in a hurry."

"The big problem is, they've lost Mike Cameron," said one scout. "And that's a huge problem at home (big outfield). There must have been five balls that dropped in the first three games that Cameron catches. Hard as Randy Winn tries, he's not Mike Cameron. And go around the field, and their defense is significantly weaker."

Those sounds awfully familar don't they?

The other teams?
Philadelphia: Illusion
Arizona: Reality
Toronto: Illusion

I'd agree with that, though my Phillies as NL champs pick is looking rather shaky so far.

I love my Humpy

It's hell getting old...
I shouldn't know this quite yet. I'm only 30, and Mrs. Frinklin is only 27. And yet she and I are careening toward geezerhood. This was pointed out to us rather obviously this week. She went to a new chiropractor this week; she had promised a potential client she would check out his practice. The doctor was pleasant and polite, and informed Mrs. Frinklin that she was in the very, very early stages of "Dowager's Hump".

Yes friends, say it aloud, "Dowager's Hump."

Not being an expert on the aging process, my lovely wife asked the doctor just what dowager hump was. Turns out it's a curving of the spine, where the vertebrae weaken and collapse on each other. Eventually this will end up causing the back to curve forward and develop a lovely hunchbacked appearence. Yes, Dowager's Hump: The long lost reason as to why your grandmother was so small.

Now, I'm sure the chiropractor thought he was doing my lovely wife a great service by warning her of this. It gives her time to slow or even stop this process; it gives us the opportunity to affect healthier, more active lives. This is a good thing, early detection means defeat for such problems, right?

Not exactly.

This adventure gives my lovely wife the chance to dwell on yet another horrible thing that could eventually happen. For the next 48 hours, Mrs. Frinklin is certain she will turn into Quasimodo, presumably soon. She is going from 27 to 72 in a matter of months. Of course, I don't know this at first. I hear the story, am genuinely concerned, and then move on, confident that this doctor knows what he's doing, and that my wife can with exercise and calcium supplements, not turn into Igor from Frankenstien. I am a guy; this is how we deal with things.

I'm also an idiot. My wife and I are working in the kitchen last night, well actually she's working, I'm standing there getting in the way. She looks sad, very sad. I ask what's wrong. She looks as if she's going to cry. "Will you still love me when I'm all old and humpy?" she asks with tears coming to her eyes.

"And when I say old, I mean 35."

Getting There...

Okay, I've managed to get halfway though the process of exporting the old site and sent it on to Pixy. Who, hopefully, can make sense of it and get this new, extra frinkadelic site going. The plan will be to make some small posts this week, and fix it up all classy next weekend.

The best laid plans...

Anyway, the FILF is at full swing. I sat down to enjoy the M's and Angels tonight,the M's get out to a nice lead, and then the Baseball Gods realized I was watching. Ben (I'm beginning to hate this entire family) Molina hits a game tying HR. The M's lose 7-5.

Augh...For those paying attention, the FILF is still at 100%

Barry Bonds passes Willie Mays for 3rd all time in HR tonight, and very few care. Rob Neyer had a nice piece on ESPN about this, but I think he misses one point: Barry Bonds is a jerk, and no one likes him.

Slate has a rundown on the baseball blogosphere. Nice to see USS Mariner get a shout out. They certainly deserve it, and not just because I think I went to Jr. High with Derek Zumsteg.

Pretty Bare in here

Okay, so the plan was to work on the blog tonight, get everything archived and sent over and posted and all the sudden this Frinklin Speaks would be the ONLY FS.
Of course, that didn't happen. I seem to be incapable of figuring this stuff out. Plus Mrs. Frink wanted to watch Something's Gotta Give.

So TOMORROW.. everything here will be perfect.

Rock ON

:: how jedi are you? ::

Week into the Season

Okay gentlemen, that's more like it. The M's avoid matching the worst start in franchise history at the very last minute. Ichiro and Winn with RBI singles in the 9th, Boone homers in the 10th, and Shiggy picks up the win. Still, Moyer was off again, which is worrisome, and 3 walks in a 10-inning game, which is bordeline ridiculous

Well we are a week into the new season.
Most Suprising Team (Good Suprise Division) Detroit Tigers-Is there any question about this? Last year they started 0-9 on the way to losing 119 games. This year they start 5-1 and in first place at the 1-week mark. Of course they won't keep this up, but who cares? Enjoy it Tiger fans.

Most Suprising Team (Lousy Suprise Division) Tie-Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies-Well, of course the last-team-to-win Mariners are going to place, but you have to give up for the Phils too. They have the very same 1-5 record, are already 4 full games behind the Marlins. Oh, and they open Citizen's Bank Park tomorrow. Should be fun. Will Philly fans merely boo? Or will they go ahead and throw things?

Many Quickies

Jayson Stark has his first Useless Info column up. As always, it's interesting stuff. Most interesting to me: Brave 1B Adam LaRoche becoming only the 4th player in history to get his first 2 ML hits in the same inning.

I was wandering around online newspapers, and I came across this. It’s yet another lawsuit against tobacco companies, this time claiming that “light” cigarettes are fraudulent and may do more damage to smokers. It’s a different twist, but the idea is the same: I did something I knew was dangerous and it hurt me and it’s your fault. Look, I’m no fan of tobacco companies, they seem to be significantly more evil than most corporations, but this is ridiculous. If you’ve started smoking in the last 39 years (surgeon general warning have been around since 1965), and you get sick, it’s your own damned fault. It doesn’t matter if your brand is “light” or “low tar”, cigarettes will kill you. And you know it.

During this time of troubles, we all search for somewhere to belong. And I've found this: The Church of Toasterology. This may save me.

As you might expect with a team that's 0-4, the numbers are really ugly. On offense: the M's are last in walks, last in HR, 11th in SLG, 12th in OBP and (odd for a team that hates K's) 2nd in strikeouts, only 1 behind Baltimore and they've played 5 games. Pitching is atrocious too: dead last in ERA, 1.8 points worse than then anyone, 11th in K's, and last in WHIP. Ugly, ugly ugly. I'm also glad to see I'm not the only one growing concerned. Peter over at Mariner Musings, has a very worried muse: If the M's are scuffling later in the season, will Edgar just give it up? Say it ain't so..

I love the Saturday newspapers. Nobody reads 'em, so they run any story they can think of. Like this: Les Carpenter on the Canuckleheads playoff heartbreak.

I've been so wrapped up in baseball opening and troubles at work, I didn't even realize the NHL Playoffs had started.

I really can't believe this. It's almost to goofy to be offensive. Almost...

Okay, this one should have been expected. Tim Hudson has owned the Mariners over the years. Still, fellas, could you make him work a little harder than 86 pitches over 9 innings? The bright spot was Gil Meche, who pitched very well. That and Freddy's performance against the Angels makes me a tad hopeful.

The NASCAR ballet? Are you kidding me? this is some horrid practical joke right? This is my favorite section:

At the wave of the starting flag, 30 dancers will round an oval-shaped stage to New Age music punctuated with the sounds of revving engines. Their suits will be festooned with logos from the show's sponsors. Above, three giant TV screens will show the action from different camera angles while a local sports anchor gives a live play-by-play

FESTOONED with logos? Perfect...

Ozymandias

Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Pads Announcers

Unlike the Mariners, San Diego keeps their Radio announcers separate from TV. I am not entirely sure why this is, but to be honest, I prefer it. Maybe I’m biased (no I AM biased), but the Pads announce teams just aren’t up to par. The radio team is Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner. Coleman is like everyone’s favorite old uncle. He can be fun, and he tells great stories, but he loses his point every so often and never seems to remember anybody’s name. As an announcer, he’s definitely the excited type, much like Neihaus but lacking the flair. He does have a nice catchphrase (Hang a star on that one!) and enough goodwill built up that I bet he eventually wins the Ford Frick Award. His partner Leitner, on the other hand, is utterly unbearable. Long-winded, endlessly opinionated but never informed, utterly charmless; Mrs.Frinklin says he’s some sort of San Diego institution, but I can’t tell why. More than anything, he seems like every bad stand-up comic’s idea of Radio Guy. The TV side is bearable, but nothing special. Matt Vasgersian handles play-by-Play. He practically screams ESPN anchor: blandly handsome, endless pop culture references, and the occasional mediocre impression. Mark Grant is his sidekick, and I like him. I’m not sure why, but I do. He’s very likable, somewhat goofy, and hardly ever throws the “I’m a former athlete” at his viewers

0-3

Okay.. triple UGH

it's only 3 games right? In the long run it isn't any big deal?

So why am I so damned nervous right now? This is just about the worst way to open the season I can think of, that's why. 0-3 and looking at nothing but division foes for the next month. The M's performance seemed to validate what the blogospheria has worried about since the beginning of spring training. They were blown out and they lost close. Raul (who seems freakishly popular at Safeco) showed shaky at best OF defense. The bullpen imploded. Now they have games at Oakland. Is it too early for must win games?

Well, I guess we will find out. I'm off to watch the first game at Petco Park.

Frinklin is a Loser Factor

Ugh, Part 2

I should have known this would be a disaster game. See, I had a chance to watch the M’s. It’s the MLB cable package preview this week (I haven’t ever been able to convince Mrs. Frinklin to let me buy it, and I probably never will), and whenever I watch the Mariners, they lose. Usually rather spectacularly for that matter. I’m going to use this blog to track it. Call this the Frinklin Is A Loser Factor (FILF). So far, I’m hitting 1.000.

And I think Jose-FREAKING-Molina is too.

I didn’t totally give up on the boys tonight, but I did switch over to the Padres-Dodgers after it was 5-0. Another brilliant game, another heartbreaker for the Pads, this really isn’t the momentum they wanted headed into PETCO Park’s opening. I’m beginning to wonder about Bruce Bochy’s managing though. He has this brilliant reputation down here, one for the most part unsullied by the team’s recent lousiness. Anyway, Boch pinch-ran for Phil Nevin in the eighth inning, putting in Kerry Robinson. Robinson doesn’t score; the game stays tied at 1. Instead of moving Klesko from LF to 1B, Bochy pulls Klesko, puts Robinson in left, moves Ramon Vasquez from SS to first and inserts Khalil Greene at SS. The game eventually goes 11 innings, and 2 of San Diego’s best players aren’t in the game. You’re left with Giles-Robinson-Greene as your 3-4-5 hitters. Unbelievably, the announcers (Matt Vasgersian and Mark Grant) inform the audience that this was the correct decision! Even more unbelievably, had yesterday’s game gone extra frames, both Nevin and Klesko had already been pulled then too.

Check out Mrs. Frinklin, and her story of our crazy dog. It’s far more entertaining than mine was.

ESPN Radio

I wrote this during the slow times at work today. I'll be back later, since the Mariners are just getting killed. Again!

I was listening to ESPN radio on the way to work this morning, and John McGrath was a guest on the Colin Cowherd show. Now, I will get to my thoughts on “the Herd” later, but really all you need to know is that the his first to questions for McGrath were concerning the Sonics (Who?) and the Seahawks draft position. Yes, one of baseball’s glamour franchises, the day after it’s opening, was snuck in behind the World’s Most Forgettable NBA team, and the team who’s season opener is a mere 5 months away. Now McGrath was good, even lacking insider knowledge as to the Hawks plan with the 23rd pick. He spoke mostly on the TNT baseball preview focusing in on the Mariner signing of “tough guys”, and mentioned that ½ of said tough guys are currently on the shelf.

Now, the San Diego sports radio market is a tad oversaturated, though not with any real quality. I was a devout listener of Tony Kornheiser in the morning; mostly due to the respect with which he treated his audience. Too often sports radio jocks assume their listeners are rockheads and act accordingly, but TK was different. He covered sports yes, but not to the exclusion of everything else. He understood that relatively few of us were obsessing on the Redskin’s third-down back, and many of us are concerned about politics, pop culture and the like. Best of all, he was unafraid of his ESPN bosses. He spoke about their failings and never failed to mention the silly things they tried to get him to do.

The new guy? He’s not so good. Of course, due to Kornheiser’s cult-like following, he has an unbelievably hard job, and I do give him credit for taking it. He does drive me nuts sometimes though, and not in a good way. For instance, it’s Tuesday, the day after Opening Day. I get in my car and the first thing I hear him mention is, “America’s love affair with football.” Two damn days into baseball season and this moron is talking about the NFL? I could not believe it. Look, I love football as much as next geek. I’ve been rooting for the Seahawks just as long as I have the Mariners. My entire neighborhood heard me yell when Hasselbeck threw away the GB playoff game. That isn’t the point. The point is that the day after Opening Day, which is also the day after the NCAA championship game, is not the time to be waxing about how much America loves football. The Herd seems obsessed with it, leaving a segment every show focused to football. It’s April for cryin’ out loud.

Unfortunately, for me anyway, ESPN is just about the only sports-option in the morning. San Diego used to be home of the highest rated sports radio station in the country: XTRA Sports 690. XTRA had mammoth ratings, and routinely whacked the LA sports station in its market too. The problem was, Clear Channel (Corporate Motto: We Will BURY You) owns both. The demon children of Clear Channel realized the best way out of this was to merge the channel into the Southern California Sports Leader; Use the resources of both stations to cover a massive region stretching from Bakersfield to the Mexican border. They accomplished this by firing the San Diego morning guys, early afternoon guys, late night guys, and overnight guys. Then they closed the San Diego station offices, fired the entire staff, and focused the new LA based station almost exclusively on the Lakers and the Dodgers. Hey, San Diego feels the love fellas.

There is a third option; many of the old XTRA crew started the Mighty 1090. It’s okay, but to be honest, I was never a fan of the XTRA anyway. I miss the KJR people, well, some of them. Really, the only KJR types I enjoyed were Groz and Gas. Heck, if I am not at work I still listen to them.

This was supposed to be a much angrier rant. Oh well…

Padres-Dodgers

Now this is why I love baseball. I just finished watching the Padres- Dodgers game, and it was beautiful. Certainly not the best played or best pitched game I've ever seen, but man was it worth it. My impressions...

Jake Peavy pitched well. Not great, but certainly good enough to win, and he should have.

Odalis Perez sucked early on, but recovered, and showed more guts than he gets credit for.

Darren Driefort looked unhittable. So we have about 60 days before he's on the IR?

Eric Gagne looked even more unhittable. Made an absolute fool of poor Ramon Vasquez. 3 pitches, and Ramon never even blinked.

Milton Bradley made a very nice over-the-shoulder catch. As long as he doesn't go completely crazy, LA fans will love him.

Finally... Adrian Beltre looks different, like he's lost the baby fat. And he certainly played will, hitting the game tying HR. Still, you have to wonder why he would go to papers about not being invited to the meeting about getting Bradley.

Beloved M's Opening Day

Ugh...

Not at all what were hoping to open the season with guys.

What should be a National Holiday

Opening day-or Opening Day. Depending on how you feel about it. -Jim Bouton

Well, it the real season is here in full force. And I missed most of it. Worked through the Padres-Dodgers game, saw bits of the pretty good Astros-Giants game and most of Texas-Oakland. Some quick thoughts:

Ozzie Guillen may have totally destroyed Billy Koch's wavering confidence. In fact, I don't think I've seen a manager totally freak out like that so quickly.Oz... you have a 7-5 lead, it's the first game, don't lose it. Maybe he is too high strung to be a manager.

How do the Giants win? They have JT Snow, Marquise Grissom and Michael Tucker in the opening day lineup. Tucker is the #3 hitter for cryin' out loud. Matt Herges is acting closer. I'm baffled, really.

The Pirates, Tigers and Brewers all win. Life is good.

There isn't a better way for the new-look Padres to start the season than by bitch-slapping the Dodgers. Phil Nevin hit a mammoth grand slam off Nomo, good to see him healthy. Oh, and I like the new look road unis, but it seemed everytime they went to a high-angle shot, the "sand" color blended in with the infield dirt.

M's-Angels tomorrow.. YeeHa!

Finally, the AL

EAST
1-New York Yankees
Baseball's thermonuclear war continues. The biggest rivalry in professional sports isn't the Yankees vs. Red Sox. It's the Yankees versus the world, and it gets bigger and uglier each year.
It's really great, isn't it?
I mean, I know I should be bitching about the inequities of baseball, complaining that the Yankees' payroll is several times that of the GNP of say, Uganda. But I really don't care anymore. Baseball's economics are what they are, and they aren't going to change anytime soon. Besides, success in the sport is still based more on smarts than anything else. It's possible to be poor and smart and successful. See Minnesota and Oakland. It's possible to be rich and stupid, and lose every year. Just look at the Orioles. And of course, you can be both poor and stupid, and then you end up the Pirates. It's not really all that different that baseball has always been. The Yankees are almost always good, and baseball is better as a whole when they are. Don't worry, like any reasonable baseball fan, I hate them too.
I just can't turn away from them, this year even more than previous. With all the talk about A-Rod and how much better they are and how many All-Stars they have, people tend to ignore that this team seems deeply flawed. A-Rod is of course out of position. And how long does he stay okay with that? They have a gaping whole at 2B. Giambi will be expected to play the field, and he's a lousy defensive 1B. Lofton is already upset at his spot in the batting order. Kenny Lofton upset? Who would have guessed that? The outfield defense is atrocious. Who will be the fifth starter? Right now they stand at 1-1. If it gets to be 6-6 or 10-10 how crazy does Steinbrenner get? I can't wait. Even with all that, I'll still pick them to win the division. The overall talent, especially on offense, is unreal. And Big Stein gets what he wants. Somebody will send them what they need. Jose Vidro? Carlos Beltran maybe?
2-Boston Red Sox
Two months ago, even without the A-Rod trade, the Sox looked they had an even money chance of ending the Curse. Even with A-Rod in pinstripes they still have a good shot. Or at least, they did. The Curse strikes in many ways, and right now it seems health is the way du jour. Nomar's bad Achilles will keep him off the field for at least a month. Trot Nixon will miss half the season, maybe more. Pedro's velocity has been down, and he's been rocked throughout the spring. Nixon is important to the team, but not irreplaceable. Nomar needs to come back and come back soon though. The Pokey Reese- Mark Bellhorn DP combo is scary for most of the wrong reasons. Still, the Sox should be able to stay in the race long enough for everyone to get healthy, and Theo Epstein proved last year he's willing to make moves.
3-Toronto Blue Jays
How often do you think JP Ricciardi petitions Commissioner Bud to relocate to the AL Central? Four, five times a week? It's a pity that this suddenly very inventive club is stuck behind the big two. It would be a definite contender in the Central, but it's an also-ran here. The Jays have a very nice lineup featuring some young (Josh Phelps, Orlando Hudson, Reed Johnson) and talented players. The pitching is slowly coming around, and they have a lot of nice prospects. The question will be what to do with Carlos Delgado. He’s a free agent, and while he shouldn’t get the same money has now, he still will be out of Toronto’s price range. Do they trade him? He could bring a lot from a contender.
4-Baltimore Orioles
This is another team that seems to be on the upswing. They aren’t on the same level as the Jays, and I wonder if they’ll get there. Miguel Tejada is a great sign; he should solidify the infield and give Baltimore fans someone to identify with the team. Javy Lopez on the other hand was a bad sign, unless the unbelievable happens and he repeats last season. Even if he does he’s a below average defensive catcher. Larry Bigbie and Jay Gibbons give the O’s another set of building blocks. It would also help if Erik Bedard is for real, and Kurt Ainsworth fufills some of the expectations he’s been carrying.
5-Tampa Bay Devil Rays
It really isn’t fair that this team has to play in the AL East. Between the big two and the fast rising Blue Jays, the Rays may have their best team and STILL get buried. Which I think is pretty close to what will happen. This team is better than last years, and next year should be better still. Carl Crawford is the real deal, and Rocco Baldelli will be too, if he learns how to take a pitch now and then. BJ Upton and Delmon Young are hope for the future, Upton could be called up this year. Young is a ways off. Pitching? Don’t ask.

AL Central

1-Kansas City Royals
Can you win with 5 number 3 starters, 4 of them lefties no less? The Royals will find out. The pitching is mediocre, but if Jeremy Affeldt gets over his injury problems, he could emerge as an ace. The lineup is sweet, especially if Juan Gone can stay reasonably healthy. Matt Stairs hit .292 /.389 /.561 last season, and could give KC more offense then Ibanez did for less than 1/3 the price. Really this division is up for grabs, I can see any of the top three in any order

2-Chicago White Sox
This team will be better then most think. They have holes, but everyone else does too, and I think they have the best chance of fixing them or covering them up. Frank Thomas seems to be responding to Ozzie Guillen’s leadership, he seems primed for a big year. Loiza can’t be as good as he was last year, but Buerhle probably won’t be as bad: they’ll even each other out. The Sox are finally going with Joe Crede at 3B: he’s a plus.

3-Minnesota Twins
The Twins take a bit of a tumble this year; I can’t see their staff being good enough to win the division. Brad Radke will be Brad Radke: 200 IP, 15W, but beyond that they have to rely on some young arms. Johan Santana should be fine, providing he can handle the bigger workload. Kyle Loshe showed flashes of dominance last year. Beyond those two, there are question marks. Carlos Silva is converting to starter after spending his entire big-league career as a reliever. The bullpen looks shaky too; I can’t see Joe Nathan as an everyday closer, especially since his velocity seems to be down 5 MPH from last year. Offensively they are fine, having Shannon Stewart the full year is a plus, and Joe Mauer looks like he can hit. Defensively they are the best in the game.

4-Cleveland Indians
The Tribe is back on the upswing, with as much young talent as any team in the game. Jody Gerut, AL ROY, leads a legion of talented outfielders that the Indians will build their team around. The trade of Milton Bradley weakens them, but the situation had become untenable with the talented CF. Coco Crisp, Alex Escobar and eventually Grady Sizemore will take his place. Sizemore is the most talented of the three, but also the farthest from the majors. CC Sabathia leads a very young rotation, one that will have to deal with a lot of growing pains. David Riske could have a big year as closer.

5-Detroit Tigers
Hey the Tigers are actually still in the game. It didn’t seem like they were last year, with an absolute disaster that ended with 119 loses. The team went out and got some real grown-up players this season, with Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Fernando Vina and Rondell White replacing half the starting lineup. Dimtri Young is the best of the returnees; he would have collected 100 RBI had the other guys been less inept. Jason Johnson was let go by the Orioles and immediately became the Tigers #1 starter. Assuming he gets over the disaster from last year, Jeremy Bonderman will eventually take that mantle. Detroit will be better, but still not very good.

AL West
1-Anaheim Angels
Arte Moreno made the moves Mariner fans were desperate for Howard Lincoln to do. The Halos picked up an Ace (Bartolo Colon), passable #3 starter (Kelvim Escobar) and the best hitter on the market in Vlad Guerrero. Add this to the remains of their 2002 WS champions, and the Angels have a very nice little team. There are concerns of course: Troy Glaus is coming off surgery: Vladie has injury concerns: Troy Percival hasn’t been pitching well this spring: Brandon Donnelly’s horrific nosebleed problems. Mike Scioscia keeps comparing Darin Erstad’s defense to that of JT Snow, without mentioning he hits like him too. Altogether though, this team hits a ton, and has plenty of pitching. Should be just enough to win the division, and maybe more.

2-Oakland A’s
The A’s will always be a threat to win everything as long as Hudson, Mulder and Zito are on the team. Add to that Rich Harden and Mark Redman, and this is the best starting staff in the AL. The bullpen isn’t nearly as settled, or as good. Arthur Rhodes has never been a closer, and hasn’t been terribly effective in save situations. The offense is improved, especially at the top. Mark Kotsay should give the A’s their best leadoff hitter since the heyday of Rickey Henderson, and Bobby Kielty should be a quality 2-hole hitter. Hopefully for A’s fans, Eric Chavez won’t overdue it attempting to justify his new contract.

3-Seattle Mariners
More to follow in my M’s only preview, but the short of it: They aren’t good enough.

4-Texas Rangers
Well, they trade the best player in baseball; did they get any better for it? No. Of course, trading HOF talents is NEVER a good thing. Especially when you’re on the hook for almost half of his contract. Well, hopefully for Ranger fans they will fight the impulse to trade Alfonso Soriano and let a talented young infield grow up together. Hank Blalock’s breakthrough year was sort of ignored in the A-Rodmania and Mark Teixeira could have on this season. Of course, as it’s been for several years now, the Ranger’s problems aren’t on offense. The pitching is bad, maybe not as dreadful as previous years, but still bad. Colby Lewis is a quality starter. Kenny Rogers was 4-5 years ago, and Chan Ho Park was when pitching for the Dodgers. It’s bad enough that RA Dickey and Glendon Rusch round out the rotation. The bullpen is just as bad, though Fransico Cordero could be a quality closer. Hey, how long until Jeff Nelson gets traded?

NL Playoffs
Division Series
Phillies over Astros
Cubs over Giants

NLCS
Phillies over Cubs

AL Playoffs
Division Series
Angels over Red Sox
Yankees over Royals

ALCS
Angels over Yankees

World Series
Angels over Phillies

Of course I'm watching Sunday Night Baseball...

Pokey Reese walked his first time up. That should be enough for April.

Jon Miller is my favorite announcer not named Dave Neihaus or Vin Scully. Joe Morgan irritates me.

The Orioles have really cool uniforms. They should ditch the ornithologically correct bird and bring back the smilin' oriole though.

Pedro is definitely not 100%, but he's smart enough to almost cover for it. You have to wonder if he'll ever be what he was.

Hell

Ack.. this isn't pleasant.
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Third Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

The Board Game Guy Trade

I haven't had the chance to commen on the Milton Bradley case, but mine take is pretty similar to most: A total headcase I'd love to see play for the Mariners. Now it seems he has been traded to Los Angeles for OF prospect Franklin Gutierrez and a PTBNL. At first glance this is a better deal than I thought the Indians would get for Bradley. Gutierrez is a highly-regarded prospect, rated # 3 on Baseball America's list. Then I thought of it: Paul DePodesta took one look at Gutierrez's OBP (lifetime minor leage OBP of .343) and said, "someone is gonna want him more than I do." Gutierrez is a tools player, not yet a results player. It makes sense for LA to trade him. Even with the OBP defiecency, this is the best deal the Indians could get. I wonder if Guiterrez is done moving though, with Jody Gerut, Grady Sizemore, Alex Escobar, Jason Cooper... the Tribe has plenty of young OF prospects.

Jolbert?!?

Okay, I've been silent for a couple days, more will follow. Yesterday was spring cleaning at the Frinklin house, so both the Mrs. and I ended up sleeping really late today. Hard work ya'know?
I do have to register my displeasure with the this though: JOLBERT CABRERA? Now, I don't think Looper or Ketchner are anything real special, but why send two prospects for a utility guy? Guys like Cabrera are available over the waiver wire all the time, and more importantly, is Cabrera anything more than Hiram Bocachica? Perhaps Cabrera is a better player than Bocachica, but two young pitchers worth? This is a terrible, albeit minor trade, one that brings back visions of Woody Woodward.

Quickies!

Just some linkage tonight, as it's been a long, rough week at work.

Mrs. Frinklin goes into detail about why we hate our neighbors. You would too if you dealt with them. Just for an update, it's quarter to 10:00 at night, and they are STILL out there in the rain.

A couple great Slate articles. Matt Feeney eviscerate SportsCenter on ESPN. It's pretty snarky, but it's also true. Dan and Keith aren't coming back kids. The second is a Daniel Gross feature on Petco Park, the beautiful new Padre ballpark. The gist of the article is the park is actually doing all those nice things for downtown that teams always say when trying to get a new park. And trust me, Petco is very nice.

Beliefnet does April Fools? Heh...

Tim Kurkjian reminds everyone how painful baseball can be. I never get on any athlete who says he's hurt. I can't get out of bed because of headaches some days. Who am I to judge?