First of all, here are the links TheMomCat found for me so you can share the game if you don’t happen to get MLB Network.

• ESPN Radio
• The New York Times Live Scoreboard

The live scoreboard is pretty interesting, we were playing around with it last night.  Among other things it updates almost in real time and lots of interesting information is available when you mouse over the bases.

Lesson #1- Stay away from Verlander

Bay area teams got bit yesterday but fans should not despair.  One of the reasons critics don’t like the 5 game short series is that there’s not enough time to do a full pitching rotation.  Now me?  I disagree because it means more thought goes into managing and pitcher’s duels are boring unless you’re following pitch by pitch which requires a lot of concentration.

In any event you’ll only see Verlander once more.

And that’s if the As hang in there.  It’s hard to call a Game 2 critically important, but if they don’t split at Comerica Park they’ll be put in the position of having to win out at the Coliseum.

The Tigers on the other hand can take it easy if they want to, but what they should really do is put the screws on and give themselves 3 chances for victory.  They won’t play again at home unless they’re in the League Championship.  Today’s starting pitchers are Doug Fister (10 – 10, 3.45 ERA) who was much better after the All-Star break and As rookie Tommy Milone (13 – 10, 3.74 ERA).

Meta

Big sports day today with 4 games running from noon to around midnight which is 12+ hours of tracking the pitches and writing the diaries.  Games start at roughly noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm.  In addition to that there were 2 hours of Suzuka this morning and will be 90 minutes of special America’s Cup yacht racing coverage from TheMomCat at around 4 pm (NBC).

I’ll attempt to stay as alert as possible because America needs more Lerts.

Thank goodness for Monday.  Only 2 games tomorrow.

When last we chatted about Hamilton’s prospects I was convinced he’d stay at McLaren and Mercedes wasn’t even on the chart.  Why?  Because they have a slow car, arguably 5th slowest out of 12 and some of the Sauber and Force India fans would contend lower than that.

What Mercedes does have is Ross Brawn (who also snagged Schumacher) and Nico Rosberg (Carting team mate) who are both very good friends.

I still don’t think this was a wise decision from a competitive standpoint, but the heart want’s what it wants and it’s not irrational at all for Hamilton to feel that McLaren’s track management mistakes were holding him back.

Schumacher was done anyway, he’s been driving like a man who just doesn’t care for the last two years.  This leaves an opening at McLaren with no obvious (or rather- too many) contenders.

Well we finally have an explanation of why Scuderia Marlboro UPC sucked so bad these past few seasons, their wind tunnel is a piece of crap.  Lotus is not going to get a chance to use their new wing, probably for the season, because there is just not enough track test time.

Hards and Softs, no Mediums.  What this means is there will be a very distinct performance/durability gap between them.  Pirelli is predicting a 3 stop race, but some teams may try for 2.

Schumacher penalized 20 positions for the collision at Marina Bay, Button and Hulkenberg lose 5 positions for a gearbox change.  Vettel escapes with a mere reprimand for blocking Alonso.  Hamilton qualified exceptionally poorly because he was behind the last lap crash of Raikkonen.

Suzuka is very fast, but doesn’t have a lot of passing opportunities.  This race will likely be won or lost on tire strategy and pit stops unless there are mechanical failures or accidents.

Interactive Track

• Formula One Official Site Suzuka
• Guardian Interactive Track

Suzuka

• New York Times History
• Suzuka
• Japanese Grand Prix
• Qualifying

Official Sites

• Formula One Official Website
• Speed Racecast

Pretty tables below.

It is technically possible we shall have a Bay Bridge Series this year though I don’t think it’s entirely likely.

The Giants are part of my borough re-alignment package.  As we all know it makes absolutely no sense to keep jobs anywhere in particular except as dictated by economic efficiency.  My careful 30 second analysis designed to make my point without relying on facts or reality or icky research indicates that New York is the only Baseball city you ever need.

While rents are high and salaries inflated, the convenient and inexpensive transportation system will make every series a “Subway Series” with all the attendant marketing opportunities.  Proximity to Network broadcasting facilities will lower their overhead costs covering the games.  Leagues will be reduced to 8 teams each to allow maximum post season hype and exposure while minimizing labor units.

By dividing teams evenly, 3 per borough, we create exciting new ‘intra-borough’ rivalries to generate fan interest and special schedules for their play in addition the successful current inter-League program.

But ek you say, what do you do with the 16th team?  You’ll be sorry you asked.

By my calculations locating a 4th team on Staten Island will cover it entirely with Stadiums and their parking lots, thus eliminating the need to provide municipal services like snow removal, at least during the off season.

It’s a win, win, win scenario and I hope you bring it to Bloomberg’s attention before he locks me up.

The Giants would move back to the Polo Grounds.  The Dodgers would go to Brooklyn where they belong.

What happens to a team like the Reds from a rustbelt industrial town that happens to play great Baseball which nobody notices?

Well, I’m not sure there’s a place in a flat globalized new world neo-liberal order for them.  Perhaps they should invest in learning another skill set, like Hockey.

I understand there are openings for scabs.

Well, what do we know about the As and the Tigers?

The first thing I know is that tomorrow’s Game 2 @ noon Sunday will only be carried on MLB Network which is kind of a drag if you don’t get it.  Unfortunately I do (no rest for the wicked) so I’ll be covering the game which I hope Richard appreciates because I’m not the Tigers fan he is.

And there’s another thing you may not know- Emily, though born and raised in the heart of Tigers territory, is a member of the Borg Yankee collective (resistance is futile) and has hardly any interest in the Striped Ones but can tell you what CC Sabathia had for breakfast (seldom Frosted Flakes) and how he pitches after eating it.

Richard is from God’s Brewer’s Country, however since he started slumming under the bridge he has picked up an inexplicable taste for sugar coated corn.

I know less than that about the As except that their remarkable comeback (along with a ’69 Cubs-like fold) sent the Rangers to their doom last night against the Orioles.  Still, what’s not to like about a team that does the Bernie Lean?

Well, there is that whole police riot crackdown on Occupy, but let’s see if it gets that far.

If you have not yet acquired a rooting interest I recommend this short and funny piece in The New Yorker by Ian Crouch.

Meta

Well, the big news was the MLBN discovery.  Perhaps I shall find a video or audio feed to include so you’re not entirely reliant on my commentary.  Today in addition to the usual sports overload I have family obligations that may make me scarce during the first few innings.

TMC is likewise engaged, but as we frequently point out it’s up to you to make your own fun.

Tonight’s second game is Reds @ Giants at 9:30 pm on TBS.  Also tonight is Formula One Suzuka where you’ll want to tune in at 1:30 am to make sure I got all the grid penalties right.

Tomorrow in addition to the As/Tigers match up at noon we will have Nats @ Cardinals at 3 pm, Yankees @ Orioles at 6 pm, and Reds @ Giants at 9:30 pm.  They’re all on TBS so I suppose that if we have delays or extra innings they’ll swap over the new game to TNT as they did at the end of the Cards/Braves, beginning of the Orioles/Rangers games last night.

Oddly enough, both were won by the visitors.

The last thing I want to talk about at the moment is Schumacher and Hamilton, fortunately Baseball has been very, very good to me.

Too good in fact and it’s been difficult to concentrate on anything else.

Suzuka is very fast and one of the few circuits with a figure 8 layout.  I’ve always been disappointed that they don’t run School Bus races there because there’s nothing like a good old figure 8 School Bus races for twisted chunks of flaming metal.

There have actually been a few crashes during Practice including Schumacher and di Resta.  Vettel led the last practice but there seems to be general agreement that Hamilton’s McLaren is faster than anyone.

We shall see.

• Formula One Official Site Suzuka
• New York Times History
• Suzuka
• Japanese Grand Prix
• Speed Racecast

Goody.  So much to hate on I hardly know where to start.

First the Designated Hitter Rule.  The reasoning goes, since your Pitcher sucks at hitting anyway, why not use up a roster spot that could go to some young, deserving, and cheap rookie on an expensive has been/never was who’s too old and slow even to play First Base anymore?

Because then I don’t get to rough up your pitcher if he beans one of mine you cowards.  That’s all right, I’ll just call the bench clearing brawl.

The Orioles are simply the luckiest team in Baseball and have no business near the playoffs.  That said they’ve been Yankee killers this season which may influence your estimation.  Me?  I have no problem with the Yankees except that they’re boring and I’d be just as happy to see them win it all.

The Rangers are better on paper but have spent September sucking and that’s a hard thing to turn off.  If you need additional reasons to despise them, just remember they are W and ‘Doper’ Clemens team.  I say steroid boy and the poster child against inbreeding better get their tickets punched tonight because they’re not going anywhere.

Sad to say I think the Orioles will be lucky again and advance against the Yankees.  Showalter gets his revenge.  But if you’re looking for bright spots (and you certainly should if you’re a Pinstripe fan) Saunder’s 9.38 ERA in Arlington simply does not match up against Yu Darvish.

It’s ‘Sudden Death’!  Anything could happen.

Meta

Tomorrow’s games are As @ Tigers at 6 pm, Reds @ Giants at 9:30 pm.

Then Formula One Suzuka @ 1 am on Speed.  If you wish to join me for Qualifying tonight, that will be posted at 1 am also.

The NHL New York Rangers google better than the Arlington variety, even in a strike shortened season.

First of all let me just say I thoroughly approve of any sporting competition that includes the words ‘Sudden Death’ and I am a long standing advocate of allowing players to keep their bats on the base paths and eliminating the ‘Hit By Pitch’ rule.  I am convinced these innovations will return the Metropolitans to their rightful place as the premier team in New York, the only Baseball city you’ll ever need.

Perhaps next time I will share my game changing borough re-alignment plan.

This year marks the introduction of a new level of playoff competition- the Wild Card round, a single game elimination between the two teams in each league with the best record that did not win their Divisions.

Today at 8:30 pm the Junior League attention hogs will play a sport loosely associated with baseball in a pathetic attempt to induce support for an inferior product, this afternoon we have a chance to see the real thing (without my masterful improvements alas).

Remember this?

Yes, it’s the Rally Squirrel.

You know, the Cardinals are only the defending champions and their 88 – 74 record conceals a lot of hard luck games they probably should have won.  By contrast the Braves look tired and old and unless they pull one out for the retiring Chipper Jones I can’t help but feel that they are the most vincible team in the expanded playoffs with the exception of the Orioles.

The Cardinals are also starting Lohse, their ace, while the Braves will counter with Kris Medlen who started the season in middle relief and spent 3 rotations in the minors.  He wasn’t promoted to starter until after the All-Star break but piled up an impressive number of scoreless innings.  Another positive for Braves fans is that they’re better rested and less injured than usual.

The winner advances to face the Nationals.

Meta

We’ll be attempting to cover every game of the Major League Baseball Playoffs.  Normally my rooting interests are fairly transparent, but should you happen to favor another team it’s really ok to participate.  My team is the Mets who are expectedly absent once again, anything else is a temporary attachment.

All the Wild Card and Division Series games (except for maybe Sunday’s As/Tigers Game 2) will be on TBS, your Braves broadcaster.  Tonight’s second game will be Orioles at Rangers.

The Great Debate

Overture

Part 1- Firing Big Bird

Part 2- You’ve done a great job

Part 3- Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman

He’s not pitching at Coors Field Al.

In keeping with our espionage theme-

I regret nothing.  The good.  The bad.  It’s all the same.

As you might be able to tell I’m a big fan of Ultravox.  This is basically the whole B side of Vienna.  Though it’s not a concept album the cuts are hard so wherever you drop the needle you’ve pretty much got to play through to the break for All Stood Still.

I’m sure you’re all looking forward to this with the same breathless anticipation I am.  Stop holding your breath, you’ll turn blue and pass out.  What about…

The Hypnotoad

"Television is a vast wasteland"

• CW– Supernatural
• MyTV– Numb3rs
• A&E– American Hoggers (premier, Season Finale premier)
• ABC Family– Dirty Dancing
• AMC– Apollo 13
• Animal Planet– The Blue Planet
• Bravo– Top Chef (Season Finale), After Top Chef (premier)
• Toon– King of the Hill, American Dad
• Comedy– South Park (premier)
• Discovery– Sons of Guns, How Booze Built America (premiers)
• Disney– My Babysitter’s A Vampire, Phineas and Ferb
• Encore– Batman Forever, Excalibur
• ESPN– Red Sox @ Yankees
• ESPN2– Orioles @ Devil Rays
• Food– Restaurant Impossible (premier)
• FX– Grown Ups, The Waterboy (I’ve never watched an Adam Sandler movie)
• History– American Restoration, Cajun Pawn Stars (premiers)
• IFC– The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Teeth
• Spike– The Last House On The Left (They re-made it?  Why?)
• Turner Classic– Mystery of the Wax Museum, Doctor X (Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray night)
• USA– NCIS (marathon)
• VH1 Classic– Nirvana: Live at the Paramount

Jon hosts Rand Paul, Stephen has Kenny Rogers.  More programming at Zap2it.

I’m thinking Red Sox/Yankees last day of the season pre-play-off Baseball followed by How Booze Built America, so we can certainly chat about that.  Of course if you want to talk politics I’ll ask you to step to the back of the bar and try not to disturb the other customers.

This is a respectable joint.