All-Star Thoughts Starting to Percolate

The All-Star game is just a few weeks away, and writers are beginning to take a look at those who will play in the game, those who will miss out, and those who shouldn’t be anywhere near it. A few examples follow:

Tom Verducci looks at some unlikely All-Star candidates.

Rob Neyer and his blog army look at each team and picks an unlikely All-Star (American, National).

Filed under: Links, all-star game

Last Night

I woke up this morning with a dream fresh in my head.

In the dream, I found myself watching a baseball game at a local high school field. Normal, I thought to myself. And then I realized the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing a high school and losing.

Here’s the kicker: twice in the inning the Pirates catcher threw the ball over the pitcher’s head to allow runners to advance and runs to score.

The poor Pirates can’t even win in dreams.

Filed under: Uncategorized, dreams, overthrows, pittsburgh pirates

Of Course, It’s a Yankee Hat

Calcaterra cues up the ugliest, most vile looking hat you’ve ever seen in your life.

Filed under: Jersey Matt, Links, craig calcaterra, Hardball Talk, ugly hats, Yankees

Everyone is Always Hatin’ on Frenchy

Rob Neyer doesn’t hate, he just strongly dislikes Frenchy.  Platoon ’em! says Mr. Neyer.  That’s if Beltran ever returns, of course.

Filed under: Jersey Matt, Links, Jeff Francouer, Mets, platoon, Rob Neyer

Remembering the Expos

The New York Times’ Alan Schwarz penned two — count ’em, two! — articles on the Expos for Sunday’s edition. 

First, Schwarz profiles the former voice of Les Expos:

QUEBEC — As the ball bounced toward right, the gray-haired announcer almost bounced right out of his booth.

“Beau jeu de la part du joueur de deuxième-but! Le relai à temps au premier pour le troisième retrait!”

A fine play by the second baseman, his throw retired the side, and Jacques Doucet had brought yet another half-inning to his fellow Québécois. Baseball fans throughout the province had assumed that Doucet’s beloved baritone would fade as quickly as their memories of the Montreal Expos, whose games he called for more than 30 years before they left in 2004. But the void so many still feel is filled with every home game of the Quebec Capitales, when Doucet returns to the airwaves.

Read the rest of the article here.

Then Schwarz notes the lack of any professional baseball in the city of Montreal. 

MONTREAL — The game resembled baseball as best an 8-year-olds’ skirmish can. The Beloeil Braves and the Boucherville Seigneurs smacked grounders and attempted double plays in full uniform, with batting gloves dangling out of their back pockets. Just like the pros.

But if Braves Manager Dany Després wanted to take the tykes to a ballpark to see actual professional baseball, Montreal had no options. The Expos’ demise confirmed that the Montreal market was not major league; yet six years later, the city, whose long baseball tradition includes Jackie Robinson’s first minor league home, has yet to attract even a low minor league team.

Read the rest here.

Filed under: Jersey Matt, Links, montreal expos, radio broadcasts