22 Random Baseball Thoughts...

by Joseph Pancho Bradley
2006-04-17

Here we are 2 weeks in the season, and while some things are living up to expectations (A.J Burnett injured) I have learned a lot from these joyous weeks, such as.

1. The Mets seem for real (9-2).
2. Albert Pujols is good (.341 batting average, .491 on base percentage, league leading 9 dingers).
3. The Royals are not good (2-9 7.45 team ERA).
4. The Giants will win the West.
5. Josh Beckett is living up to expectations (3-0, 1.29 ERA).
6. Curt Shilling is back (also 3-0, 1.64 ERA).
7. Randy Johnson has amazing control (0 walks in 20 innings pitched).
8. Not having Sports Center or Fox Sports Report is a pain.
9. Ramon Hernandez appears to be the best free agent signing thus far (.562 batting average (yes that's correct) .737 slugging and 10 RBIs, all from a defensive catcher).
10. The Diamondbacks have rather good pitching (4.01 ERA) but bad hitting (.231 batting average, second worse only to the Giants).
11. Barry Bonds will not pass Hank Aaron this year, and who knows, maybe not even Babe Ruth.
12. The Cubs have ruined Corey Patterson (only 10 at bats this season, and it's not looking up for this former phenom).
13. Dmitri and Delmon Young are brothers.
14. Roy Halladay is injury prone (after winning the Cy Young in 2003 with 36 starts, he has only made 42 the last 3 years).
15. Jim Edmonds looks as lost on D (3 errors) as he does at the plate (.187 batting average, 1 homer).
16. Alfonso Soriano is looking better in left field at defense then he did at second base.
17. I feel bad for Ken Griffey JR. Coolest guy in the majors, but just can't stay healthy (may land on DL with stiffness in knee).
18. Scott Rolen is back (.311 batting average, 13 RBIs).
19. The Dodgers are fragile (Nomar Garciaparra, Eric Gagne, Kenny Lofton and Jason Werth already on DL, plus they still have J.D. Drew).
20. AT&T Park is really nice.
21. If you look on MLB.com on each team's site at the MLB.com 2006 open, each team replaces David Ortiz in the center with their best player, unless they have a player already on there.
22. I love baseball.