Opening Day Is Upon Us!
by Russ Oates on Apr 6, 2009 7:35 AM MDT
in Thoughts From Up High
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PrintOpening Day is Christmas in April. During spring training we receive hints at what we may or may not receive from our guys. Then that day in April comes when the umpire yells "Play!" and the games start to count again. We start to find out what gifts our team has for us this year. Some are great (the return of Todd Helton, first Opening Day), some are unexpected, and others many of us would prefer to exchange for something else. But in the end, we've all experienced something, no matter the outcome, truly wonderful: the collective feeling of being with our team through it all.
Abraham Lincoln was on the right track with the closing remarks in his first Inaugural Address, but I'll change some stuff around:
[...] We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from [fans in SoCal to New York to England to Korea], will yet swell the chorus of [Rockies Nation], when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
As I mentioned in a comment last night, I'll make a prediction on how the Rockies fare this season. They'll take the NL West with 85 wins. To borrow from Lincoln's second Inaugural Address:
With malice toward none, with charity for all [...], let [the Rockies] strive on to finish the work [of Rocktober, to prove that they should not be written off, to create the legends and myths for those fans who will come long after this season is gone, and] to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all [prognosticators].
Rockies baseball is back!
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I like the quotes.
Maybe that’s the way to get the historical reference in each day….historical quotes that refer to the day’s game without changing the quote.
What a glorious picture for Opening Day
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 8:17 AM MDT reply actions
Can't wait for first pitch!!
It’s almost fun reading all the predictions. Most have us 3rd or 4th. But it sure looks like this team has the potential to be pretty special. If Tulo and Helton are truly back, if Stewart and Fowler can make it impossible to keep them out of the lineup, if Ianetta gets 475 AB’s, and the pitching staff can hold the opposition to around 750 runs….
Lots of ifs, I know, but not impossible.
I honestly feel very similar to how I felt prior to 07
They’ll have to out-scrap some teams, but I think they’re up for it.
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 6, 2009 9:01 AM MDT up reply actions
Take a nap :)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 8:31 AM MDT up reply actions
I can't sleep I am to excited
What if the hokey pokey is what it is all about after all????
Amen brother!!
How is everyone going to watch the game today? I’m going to try and drive home for my lunch break and catch a few minutes on MLB.tv and enjoy the fellowship of the Row.
It's opening day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLB Extra Innings
since I receive a free preview for the week.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
Alas, only audio for me
But I was going to get a dog for lunch, then pick up some corn and a coke. Boss looks down on Coors Light in the office.
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 6, 2009 9:05 AM MDT up reply actions
Anyone in the Golden area is welcome to come join us at Woody's
check the fanpost
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 6, 2009 9:07 AM MDT up reply actions
I didn't end up
going to Opening Day, obviously — since I’ll be missing some work on a Monday two weeks hence for JennyFest ’09.
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
Ahhh...stuck at work
Gameday only for me, no audio, but recording the HD broadcast to see when I get home.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Free Preview of MLB Extra Innings
FTW
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:02 AM MDT up reply actions
Gameday Audio
Jeff & Jack are back, yay!
And probably having Gameday open for those moments when I get distracted by work and lose track of what’s going on for a moment.
As I mentioned in a comment last night, I’ll make a prediction on how the Rockies fare this season. They’ll take the NL West with 85 wins.
Are you…. are you serious??
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
Russ is sort of insanely conservative, isn't he?
Anybody who picks the Rockies with less than 90 wins this season is out of their mind.
Hasn't been banned yet.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
Actually,
Poseidon’s Fist sent me a msg as well, asking if there was something wrong, since I hadn’t posted on PR in like 36 hours.
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
I'm serious about everything I write
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
Yup.
Clark at 1B, Tracy at 3B, Byrnes in RF.
It’s like opening day 2006.
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
Byrnes
Don’t you get the feeling that Eric Byrnes is kind of like George Costanza at the end of his time at Play Now? Once beloved, now reviled for being wholly inadequate and ugly on the inside?
That works, I guess...
I wouldn’t say Byrnes is “reviled”, though, (not in Arizona at least) nor would I say that he’s ugly on the inside.
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
I think it
is largely a factor of coming off an injury and being over paid. It’s not his fault that he he’s paid more than he’s worth.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Second Inaugural Address
You left out the best part:
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives [Rockies fans] to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the [Rockies’] wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for [Todd and the Toddlers].
Korea...
That’s me!!!
The game starts at 4 am Tuesday here, so I’m not gonna make the first pitch. I’m just about to get to bed for work at 8 in the morning… Thank you MLB.tv for HD quality feeds, and thank you Korea for the connection to support it.
And I agree… This year feels familiar to the magical 2007 season.
You know you want to check out Matt's Korea blog: http://koreamatt.wordpress.com
I'll be watching on the big screens at the church I work at
One of the many benefits of working in ministry, you can use the church when no one is there
Remembering Dustin Mohr's glory years!
KLaw
Picks the Rox to tie for 3rd with the Giants in the NL West.
I’m not sure how much stock I’d put in his picks though, at some point in the year he has a couple of games where he thinks both teams will win.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Unfortunately...I have a big test today
so I’ll miss the game—but I will record it and watch as if it were live as soon as I get back.
Thus, I will be avoiding the Row until late tonight.
Eschew Obfuscation!
Sweet
Opening Day is here. I’ll try to catch some of the game on MLB.TV; if not (I’ll be in class this afternoon) I’ll just catch it later on demand.
Here's to
a great season…LETS GO RRRRRRRRRROCKIES!
"YOU THERE! BOY! What day is today?"
“Today? Why, it’s Baseball, Opening Day, Sir!”
“It’s Opening Day! I haven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!”
“Hallo!”
“Do you know the Wing Stop, in the next street but one, at the corner?”
“I should hope I did!”
“An intelligent boy! A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they still sell the party pack of Buffalo Wings? Not the little to-go box, but the Party of 10 pack?!”
“What, the one as big as me?”
“What a delightful boy! It’s a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my fine lad!”
“Yes, they have it advertised all over the front windows!”
“Is it? Go and buy it!”
“Yeah, ok, I’ll get right on that…”
“No, no, I’m serious. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give the driver the address of where I’m watching the game!. Come back with the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I’ll give you half-a-crown!
“I’ll send it to Silverblood! She shan’t know who sends it. It’s twice the size of Squeaky! George Frazier never made such a joke as sending it to Silver’s will be!”
from http://www.stormfax.com/5dickens.htm
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
Excellent!
What a fun take on a classic! “Christmas Carol” is a favorite of mine. Actually wrote the score for a musical version many moons ago. Go Rockies!!!!
The great thing about baseball is that there's a crisis every day. ~Gabe Paul
I had a quick thought of rewriting the whole thing
but….ehhhh
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 6, 2009 10:19 AM MDT up reply actions
My dad is not much of a reader
(beyond church books and a handful of magazines), but he reads A Christmas Carol every Christmas. Literally, every single year. I’m fairly certain he has good portions memorized.
Brandon Webb:
17-1 in April starts over the past 4 seasons.
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
So you're saying he's a slow starter...
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 6, 2009 11:51 AM MDT up reply actions
OMG you guys, so excited
I have been keeping this evening free for weeks! Not that anyone asked me to do anything, but if they had… I hope my mlb.tv premium subscription works – I have fairly crappy broadband (2mps) but as long as I can get any picture, that’s fine with me.
And – England? Thats… that’s me! Oh. That’s Silverblood. Ah well, I’ll hang onto her shirt tails if I may.
Normally I would be in class...
but I THINK we are in the library today, and we were actually TOLD to bring laptops, soo….
baseball in the evening
I can’t tell you how glad I am for the time difference today (and today only – the majority of Rockies games are after I go to sleep). It’ll be 8.40pm when we kick off, I think, and I will be there with laptop, beer, hot dog (poss. virtual as I don’t have any in), wearing my Rockies t-shirt (shipped at huge expense from the US via eBay) and trying to come up with interesting/witty things to post on the game thread. Or dumb-ass noob questions, like usual.
I CAN'T WAIT
I literally can’t sit still, and we still have 2 hours :(
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:04 AM MDT reply actions
I might occupy my pre-game time
With a fanpost (fanshot? I’m not sure I know the difference) about How Cricket Works. Would anyone care? Am I even allowed to write a fanpost being such a newcomer?
You could stay here
and talk with me :D
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:08 AM MDT up reply actions
I'd say go for it...
I think Brad Hawpe would make for a good cricket player with the way he can hit the low fastball.
Did you watch Manny having a bash at cricket?
It was… really endearing, actually!
Thanks, Rox Girl, I’ll have a go. I remember I chatted to RMN about cricket on #purplerow a while back and I had never realised there was so much to say. Whether it’s of interest to anyone, well. I love esoteric sports, personally – why else do you think I like baseball ;)
I saw that, I was sort of hoping he'd like it so much that he'd switch careers
You know, Manny being Manny or whatever, but I guess professional cricket doesn’t quite have the $25 million salaries just yet.
Info on the how to's and what's
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 11:11 AM MDT up reply actions
Can we start the game thread now?!?!?!
Please, nothing else to do
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:08 AM MDT reply actions
I am killing time
in my last half-hour at work. No interest at all in being here. Baseball > film industry.
Ya.
Luckily I am on Spring Break this week (Thaank the baseball gods), so I just sit here, watch the Mutts and Reds, and wait
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:09 AM MDT up reply actions
Yea
You could always watch it on trusty gameday. Or you could open up the Yahoo! stattracker to “watch” it
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:12 AM MDT up reply actions
I'd rather
watch your mayor throw out the first pitch again instead of Nick Lachey. Or fans throw pizza at one another.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
Denver Post has the lineup
And how’s this for an opening day surprise:
CF Spilborghs
LF Smith
1B Helton
3B Atkins
RF Hawpe
2B Stewart
SS Tulowitzki
C Iannetta
P Cook
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
OH MY
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 11:18 AM MDT up reply actions
They seem to have accidentally left dex's name off there
I also just had a dumb-out and thought “who’s Cook?”
Wizard!
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
I'm not sure I like Iannetta eighth
What a waste
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 11:19 AM MDT up reply actions
It's a rule.
Old skool managers are required to do it. Snyder’s certainly not our 8th best batter….
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
I don't care who is starting
Iannetta is not the 8th best hitter in that lineup. I’d drop Smith, Tulo or Stewart behind him
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 1:07 PM MDT up reply actions
Time to go fix
some of my fantasy teams
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:19 AM MDT up reply actions
That's especially surprising considering
the GB king is on the mound. I assumed Hurlde would avoid using Stewart as a 2B in Cookie’s starts
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 11:20 AM MDT up reply actions
Yea
It’s kinda weird and then having Iannetta below Stewart
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Apr 6, 2009 11:21 AM MDT up reply actions
I agree
The best shot the Rockies got against Webb is to stay close and have long at bats so they can get to the bullpen. In a low scoring game (that is what I would look for with these two pitchers) I want my best defense on the field. Barmes provides that. Then when it is time to get after the bullpen, then you bring in Stewart. Of course I will admit I am biased. I know the object is to score runs, but I love to watch good defense.
What if the hokey pokey is what it is all about after all????
It's kind of strange
I mean, I like Stewart at second and everything, and that’s definitely our best 8 hitters (even if not optimally constructed), but I figured if ever there’s a time to take an offensive hit at 2B and play Barmes, it’s with Cookie on the hill. But they must think Stewart’s ready to handle the heavy workload and turn the pivot today – he’ll be busy.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
Barmes is hitting .208 vs Webb in his career
Maybe Clint is throwing as many bats at Webb as possible and expects Stew’s offensive contribution to outweigh Barmes’ defense in this one.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 6, 2009 11:28 AM MDT up reply actions
YIIIIPPEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
"A great catch is like watching girls go by; the last one you see is always the prettiest." ~Bob Gibson
JFK
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