No opposition to expanded playoff plan (ESPN)

So baseball wants to add two more wild-card teams to the playoffs?

Commissioner Bud Selig's plan to expand baseball's playoffs to 10 teams gained a sense of inevitability after little to no opposition emerged during meetings this week with owners and general managers... "Eight is a very fair number but so is 10."

Well, by that logic maybe 12 is also fair. Hell, why not 14? Let's just take a page from NHL's playbook and put about half of all teams in the playoffs. (I'm just not comfortable seeing hockey in June...or baseball in November.)

Baseball's season is long enough. After 162 games, if a team isn't one of the top 4 in the league, then sorry: see you next year. I wouldn't have been comfortable if the 2010 Red Sox made the playoffs (which, under this new system, they would have) — a third-place team has no business making a run for the World Series, even if it is "my" team.

While cleaning my office today I came across an old photo my uncle took when he brought my brother and me to our first game at Fenway Park. On August 14, 1983 the Sox beat the Royals 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader.

I don't have any specific memories of the trip to Boston or the game itself. But what I still remember to this day is walking through the tunnel to our seats: The greenest-green field and the impossibly white uniforms (of the Red Sox, not the Royals' blue pajamas) were amazing for me to see, and still is today.

The photo shows Brian and me taking it all in before the game started. Thanks again, Rick!

Joe Posnanski wrote a good post about the Yankees payroll. It's something all of us non-Yankees fans know and complain about, but even as a fan of the high-spending Red Sox I can't help but agree when he writes "You have one team (and only one team) playing the video game on cheat-mode."

The following is a screed about the Yankees payroll. If you are a Yankees fan uninterested in a screed about the payroll, don't read it. You won't enjoy it. Go out, buy a championship T-shirt, reminisce about this great team, enjoy the victory. I'm telling you: Don't read it.

As for the rest of you: The following is a screed about the Yankees payroll. I rarely write about it because it's like writing about the heat in Phoenix. ... But with the Yankees winning the World Series and then talking about how it showed the team's character, well, yeah, I thought maybe this once.

(Looking at this and my last blog post, it's clear I have to move on from baseball and my hatred for the Yankees...)

Like we didn't all know this already...

Behind the Mac nerdery I enjoy on Daring Fireball is a typical Yankee fan: cocky and annoying.

Update: Greg Knauss created a helpful Grease Monkey script to "fix" Daring Fireball this time of year: Damned Fireball.

Sounds like shitmydadsays is watching ESPN baseball.

Flip Flop Fly Ball is kind enough to provide a public service to the younger generation of baseball cap wearers: Ballcap sticker removal provides the instructions needed for removing the sticker from your new hat. Thanks Flip Flop Fly Ball!

"A love of baseball plus a love of infographics equals Flip Flop Fly Ball." Flip Flop Fly Ball has some interesting baseball-related infographics, including Green Monster (comparing the size of Fenway's left field wall), Ballpark Orientation (the direction batters face at each stadium) and Major League Fields (ballpark shapes).

I don't mean to turn my site into a baseball blog, but when the Yanks and Sox play (especially when they're so close in the standings) I obviously pay closer attention to the games. I'm glad the Sox won last night, but I can't help but think the Yankees could've easily taken it if they didn't leave Mariano Rivera sitting in the bullpen. He wasn't really needed in the first two games (they never had a lead to protect) but last night it was bottom of the 8th inning with New York ahead 3-1.

Despite throwing 120+ pitches C.C. Sabathia was left in to pitch. I understand that: he was pitching well and there isn't much of a bullpen behind him. After a walk and a few hits to score a run and make it 3-2, there's now no outs with Sox on first and second, and manager Joe Girardi decides to go to his bullpen. With Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay -- the best hitters on the Sox (and, lately, in the entire AL) -- coming up, rather than bring in Mariano Rivera he chooses Alfredo Aceves. Two more hits and a sac fly, now the Sox lead 4-3 and Rivera basically has the night off.

I'm sure sabermetric Yankee fans were pulling their hair out last night. Rather than use their "bullpen ace" to try to stop the Sox in the heart of their order, Rivera sits in the bullpen so he could pitch the 9th and get another save. A "closer" should be a "relief ace" used when he's most needed any time towards the end of the game instead of only being allowed to pitch the 9th inning. By not getting out of the 8th inning without further damage, it made the 9th inning irrelevant: "Theeeeeeeeee Yankees lose!" and no 15th save for Mo.

So, are there any Sox fans who are still complaining about swapping Manny for Bay?

Also...

My uncle got tickets to yesterday's game, and the seats were great: up in the State Street Pavilion along third base side, looking down on the field. It was very cool seeing a game from up there, and very cold in the shade on a windy April afternoon. He also let me borrow his zoom lens, which let me get some pretty good shots:

And I thought Joe Morgan was bad. Here's Dustin Pedroia batting with the count 1-yellow and 1-blue:

Since I don't follow football, basketball, hockey or NASCAR, the months between October and March are just a countdown to spring training. So while I've heard that some Boston-area teams are doing well, I still follow only off-season baseball.

So far the Yankees have signed both C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett -- with more to come I'm sure, which is reminiscent of this old Onion article. But as Surviving Grady reminds us with the latest Cashman-Headwarmer dialogue -- "Haven't We Been Here Before?" -- that's not going to guarantee championship number 27.

Good for the Rays (except for the crappy theme song). Obviously I would've wanted the Sox to win, but what can you do? (I mean, besides pinch hit for Varitek...WTF?) TB just played better tonight. That said...go Phillies!

A friend of mine noted that while the Red Sox won the world series in 2004, the presidential election didn't work out as well. Maybe this year we'll "win" the election instead...

A poem in which each instance of the word "love" is replaced by "Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk". (via kottke)

Related to Wakefield's start tonight, here's a bit of Final Jeopardy from this week:

Pretty funny video. The Mo Vaughn and the over-the-top Youkilis impressions are great..

It's opening day for the Sox! Nothing like getting up at 5:30 for a little pre-work baseball...

Seeing as baseball season is fast approaching, here's Amelia doing her version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Ah yes, today is the official beginning of spring training! And I'm not sure if I feel good or nervous that, just like me, Josh Beckett could benefit from doing some sit-ups...