Think your new 50-inch Sony plasma is pretty cool? Bitch, that thing looks like an iPod compared to what the Orioles are planning for Camden Yards. When the park opens up for the 2008 season, fans will have a 24-by-74 foot Mitsubishi widescreen to catch the replays on -- and it only set ownership back a mere 5.2 million bucks.
"We're pleased to offer fans a video experience that will be unsurpassed by any other ballpark in America," Maryland Stadium Authority chairman Frederick W. Puddester said.
The new video screen and scoreboards will operate on light-emitting diode (LED) technology, creating a much sharper picture than the old JumboTron, which operated much like a traditional television set. The screens will be capable of accepting a high-definition picture, though not all images on them will appear in high definition.
"It has long been our goal to improve this original technology, and we are pleased to be able to provide our fans with a state-of-the-art video system and LED boards that will both enhance the ballpark experience and preserve the traditional aesthetic that is a defining characteristic of Oriole Park," Orioles communication director Greg Bader said in a written statement. "We appreciate the Maryland Stadium Authority's efforts in working with us to accomplish this important goal."
No word yet on the long-term effects of viewing a 24-by-74 projection of Aubrey Huff on a regular basis. But we assume someone's looking into that.
After a season that saw Burnett sidelined for a couple months with injury and called out by his GM for racing with a guy in a chili pepper costume, it seemed that the Jays might want to cut their losses by cutting ties with the guy they'd hoped would form a tough one-two punch with Roy Halladay.
"We like having A.J. here," Ricciardi told ESPN.com. "He gives us a good opportunity to win in 2008, and that's our main objective right now. But we're open-minded. If someone blew us away, we'd be foolish not to listen. If someone came to us tomorrow and said, 'We'll give you this, this and this for him,' we'd be foolish not to look at it."
So the Jays' options are banking on winning it all with the Halladay-Burnett combo next season or risk losing Burnett, who can opt out of his contract after 2008, to free agency? Here's betting A.J.'s starting for some other team come next April.
To this point in franchise history, most of the Tampa BayDevil Rays' playoff aspirations have been the stuff of imagination. So I guess it makes sense that the team has landed Kevin Costner, who built a career out of suspension of disbelief and playing fake baseball players, to help launch its new uniforms, team colors and logos.
It all makes perfect sense to Costner, who claimed a special kinship with Rays manager Joe Maddon.
"[Maddon] didn't make it into the bigs as a player, and ... I kind of dig that," Costner said. "That's kind of who Crash Davis was."
The extravaganza will also include a fashion show, with Maddon, Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff modelling the Rays' new look uniforms. And if that doesn't scream "something I need to see before I die," I just don't know what would.
[Zaun] told viewers that Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling "never met a microphone or camera that he didn't like." When host Jamie Campbell, who does a great job of teeing up questions for Zaun, asked him if Schilling were beatable, Zaun said he was. He then chronicled how age had robbed Schilling of his skills.
Those were brave words from someone who may face a high hard one from Schilling next season.
Brave, indeed. But, honestly, I'm more intrigued by the fact that Canadian audiences get to enjoy a Tim McCarver-free broadcast. Shouldn't we all have to suffer together?
The 1980s gave the Baltimore Orioles their last World Series victory... and also saw them drop one of the more mind-numbingly bad commercials on an unsuspecting public. We can't quite make out the faces to tell which -- if any -- actual members of the Os were involved in this "all singing, all dancing" tribute to the Egg McMuffin (although we think we see Eddie Murray in there). But that's probably just how they want it.
After scratching out the AL east's worst record, the Devil Rays weren't about to jack up ticket prices for 2008. But they are re-instating their parking fee at the Trop with one environmentally-friendly twist: Cars with more than four passengers park for free.
"We were talking about a lot of things and the idea got thrown out," [Senior VP Mark] Fernandez said. "We thought we'd walk the talk about being green, and it became a really cool thing for families."
For vehicles with less than four passengers, the cost will be $10 for the main lots and $5 for remote lots, the same as it was before Stuart Sternberg bought the team and made the free parking offer for the 2006 season, and extended it a second season, costing the team an estimated $2-million per year in revenue.
Despite the fact that the product on the field has yet to climb out of the division cellar, the Rays offer one of baseball's best deals: A family of four can see a game for 36 bucks, get free parking and, if they choose, bring in their own food and drink. A far cry from places like, for example, Fenway Park, where $36 would just about get you a couple hot dogs and beers.
Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles' most famous fan, "Wild Bill" Hagy, was remembered in a ceremony at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards. Hagy, who passed in August at 68, was a local cabbie and rabid Os fan, whose Grizzy Adams vibe, penchant for alcohol and ability to get the hometown crowd fired up made him a cult sensation at Memorial Stadium in the late '70s.
In fact, Hagy was so beloved by the crowds, the Os invited him to move his show to the top of their dugout, where he led the cheers and famously heckled opposing players, such as Reggie Jackson.
"One year, Bill had had three or four too many and was really taunting Reggie Jackson," said Neil Barber, Hagy's friend and softball teammate. "After the game, we were hanging around, and one of the clubhouse guys said, 'Bill, Reggie wants to talk to you.' Reggie came out of the clubhouse in just his stirrups and socks. Reggie was glaring at him. And Bill, who is actually bigger than Reggie, just looked at him and said, 'I have nothing to say to you.' That was Bill. A real original."
But beyond the pure spectacle -- and, let's face it, there's something inherently cool about a hairy guy contorting his body to spell out O-R-I-O-L-E-S -- part of Hagy's charm was that he was the face of the "common" fan. And in this era of movie stars and politicians pulling face time in the good seats at baseball games coast-to-coast, we could use a few more Wild Bills. That was certainly the feeling at yesterday's ceremony, where only one small problem was noted:
"[Bill] wouldn't have approved, though, that we didn't have any beer here," said Skip Dorer, Hagy's friend of nearly 30 years. "He liked his Budweiser."
Here's some video of Hagy in action. Godspeed, Wild Bill.
The Red Sox hit the Trop April 25-27. But every other weekend at home will find the Rays tackling the likes of Kansas City, Florida, Detroit, Baltimore, Toronto, the White Sox and Houston. Notably missing are any weekend series against the Yankees and the Cubs, who'll be bringing along former Rays skipper Lou Piniella.
Rays ownership can thank Major League Baseball for any impact on their finances. But at least they're taking the high road.
"While the timing of particular home series certainly affects attendance, what is of greater importance is the experience we offer at Tropicana Field and the quality of play on the field," team president Matt Silverman said.
I used to think the only things first basemen had to worry about were being alert for pick-off plays and avoiding the likes of Matt Stairs barreling down the basepath.
"Cleveland's Casey Blake always does that. If I have a bunch of hits in a game, if he gets to first base, he'll always try to touch me. Try to get hits. They just try to rub your arm. They try to take your hits away from you. Some guys try to rub the good luck on to them."
Personally, we're against any sort of touching in the workplace (and if you saw some of the people in our offices, you'd understand). But you can't blame anyone for trying to get a little of that Youk magic; his stellar D and recently revived bat have been two critical components of the Sox' success in 2007.
In the most anticlimatic announcement since Nathan Lane came out of the closet, Red Sox TV analyst and former second baseman Jerry Remy was named president of Red Sox Nation, ending one of the more curious PR initiatives ever to be hatched on Yawkey Way since Carl Yastrzemski had his own line of breads in 1967.
The Rem Dawg received over 39,000 votes, finishing a clean 25,000 votes above the second place candidate and besting the likes of former Sox players Sam Horn and Rich Garces, as well as the de facto Commissioner of Baseball, Peter Gammons, and a handful of "common fans" who earned enough votes to land among the top five.
Few candidates had the raw appeal or star credentials of Remy, who, since becoming the Red Sox' color analyst in 1988, has become something of a cult icon among Boston fans. As for what the position of President actually entails, well, we're not really sure. But Jerry's got a cool mission statement on his website, TheRemyReport.com:
"We have all been through countless campaigns filled with promises. Some fulfilled, most not. So I make no promises. This will be a new experience for the Red Sox, for Red Sox Nation, and for the first president. But this you can count on: as president, I will always remember my responsibility to you, and I will always act as your voice within the Red Sox organization. Always."
Think your new 50-inch Sony plasma is pretty cool? Bitch, that thing looks like an iPod compared to what the Orioles are planning for Camden Yards. When the park opens up for the 2008 season, fans will have a 24-by-74 foot Mitsubishi widescreen to catch the replays on -- and it only set ownership back a mere 5.2 million bucks.
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After scratching out the AL east's worst record, the 
I used to think the only things first basemen had to worry about were being alert for pick-off plays and avoiding the likes of 
In the most anticlimatic announcement since Nathan Lane came out of the closet, 
