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Opening Night Liveblog
2005-04-11 17:57
by Ken Arneson

I'm not going to Opening Night tonight, so I thought I'd do some instant impressions as I watch on TV.

5:58pm Nice to turn on the TV after spending the afternoon fiddling with QuickBooks. I hate doing accounting, so I always procrastinate until April 15 looms.

Flipped the remote to the Braves-Nationals broadcast. It's my first look at the Nats aside from brief highlights. I dig the scripty W on the cap, but it doesn't match the blocky text on the shirt at all.

6:05 Dinner time. Kids ask a question, and I can't come up with an answer: If the outside of bread is called the crust, what's the inside of the bread called?

6:30 Pregame show starts. Glen Kuiper interviews Shooty Babbitt, a D'backs scout. Shooty says he expects the young A's to make some mistakes, correct them as they go along, and play spoiler in the end.

6:50 Player introductions. I don't know why, but I find the pregame ceremonies before Opening Day and the playoffs to be torturous. Can't stand 'em. I'm doing dishes instead.

6:55 My four-year-old daughter says the Canadian anthem "is so beautiful, it sounds bad."

7:07 Saarloos starts off throwing strikes. Catalanotto fouls some off, but then strikes out on a check swing.

7:12 Mark Ellis can't handle a rocket hit at him by Koskie. The two hits this inning are more than Saarloos gave up in 6 innings in Baltimore. Then Saarloos hits Hillenbrand in the elbow. Bases loaded.

7:16 Saarloos is nibbling, falls behind Hinske 3-1, who then singles to left. 2-0 Toronto.

7:19 Swisher makes a nice sliding catch to get the A's out of the inning.

7:23 This is my first look at Gustavo Chacin. He's wearing some funky-looking glasses, and has a weird stutter-step in his windup.

7:26 Jason Kendall gets a single in his first Coliseum at-bat. But he's left stranded.

7:32 Blue Jays not fooled at all by Saarloos so far. Three straight hits to lead off the second. They're hitting fastballs, breaking stuff, anything and everything he's throwing up there. 4-0 Toronto.

7:36 Sac fly by Wells. 5-0 Toronto.

7:51 A's get two runners on in the second, but Swisher hits into a double play.

8:09 Lewis Wolff is up in the booth. He has a very bland delivery, but at times he shows a flash of dry, subtle wit.

8:14 Shea Hillenbrand hits a hanging slider for a double. Juan Cruz coming in to replace Saarloos. 6-0 Toronto.

8:18 Cruz throws a wild pitch, but Kendall gets it quickly and throws out the runner at the plate.

8:22 Chacin is impressive. He throws strikes, hits the corners.

8:29 Eric Hinske hit an outside pitch for a single to left in the first, now he pulls an inside pitch to right for another hit on a tough pitch. How come he didn't hit this way last year when I had him on my fantasy team?

8:31 Cruz walks two guys after Hinske's hit. This game is one hit from being over.

8:34 Cruz didn't get over to cover first, and everyone is safe on an infield "hit". 7-0 Toronto.

8:36 Terrible throw by Byrnes on a sac fly. 8-0 Toronto.

8:47 I'm bored, so I start surfing. Siliconhouse Rock?

8:59 Toronto scores two in the top of the sixth. Byrnes homers leading off the bottom. 10-1 Toronto.

9:06 Ellis drives in a run. 10-2 Toronto after six.

9:29 Huston Street is blowing hitters away. Two scoreless innings, strikes out the side in the eighth.

9:53 Game over. Final score: Toronto 10, Oakland 3.

The A's of the last five years didn't have a heck of a lot of those types of games, where they didn't really even have a chance to win. This is the second such game in three days. I suppose there will be more of these to come, with such a young starting staff. Good days and bad days. But too many, and the A's will have trouble competing this year.

Comments
2005-04-11 19:34:36
1.   Jon Weisman
"My four-year-old daughter says the Canadian anthem "is so beautiful, it sounds bad."

I want to hear more commentary like this ... very intriguing.

2005-04-12 03:19:03
2.   treble
That loss was painful. Very little positive signs to look forward to. Well, Yabu did pitch well in relief again, so there is some hope. Oh, and there are still 155 games left!

I enjoyed the commentary too.

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