A’s and Huskers and New Sites
Oakland needs to get the games going soon down in Phoenix, or I’m going to run the risk of obsessing over Nebraska baseball a little too much. The Huskers are only three games into their 2007 season, and I’m already breaking down Tony Watson’s groundball-to-flyball ratio.
At least all of Oakland’s pitchers and catchers are in camp. The rest of the A’s are due to arrive by Wednesday, and then things will really get rolling. We’re all stuck in this weird time of year when it’s no longer time to talk about offseason statistical minutiae, but there’s not yet enough news coming out of Spring Training to string together two coherent thoughts.
Oh well, at least Nebraska will keep me busy analyzing games for the next two weeks, until I report to Spring Training… I look at this period as a kind of baseball writer’s spring training. We’re all stretching out, getting into top shape to write about the upcoming season. The winter, full of scrutinizing new books full of wonderful numbers, is behind us. We’re all moving into the next part of the year-round baseball season — the part that has actual games.
Speaking of games, I’ve started a new side project. It’s called Baseball in Nebraska, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s about… baseball in Nebraska. There’s an explanation in the first post, but the gist is this: I’m going to go to a bunch of baseball games around my home state this spring and summer, take pictures, talk with the locals, and write about it. I’m going to see the game at all levels, from 10-year olds in rec league ball — to American Legion games — to small state colleges in towns like Peru, Seward, Wayne and Fremont — to the College World Series at Rosenblatt — to independent baseball in Lincoln — to AAA ball in Omaha. I think it will be pretty interesting, if I do say so myself.
Also, I’m going to be partnering with Aaron Hoag of Condition Oakland on a new site at MVN that centers on the Oakland minor league system. You might recall that Aaron (aka SwizStick) participated in my Oakland round-table a few weeks ago. It’s not up and running yet, but it should be in the next week or so. It’s tentatively called “A Minor Consideration”. Get it? You know, the “A” for A’s, “Minor” for… well, the minors, and… OK, you’re not dumb, I’m sure you got it the first time, in all it’s lame, cheesy glory.
February 21st, 2007 at 12:06 am
Dude, your side project sounds like a fun time. The more coverage of minor (and minor minor) ball there is, the better.
Wish I could join you. I’ve long had a fantasy to buy a small VW van, throw in a sleeping bag, wireless modem, laptop, and a grill, and just criss-cross the country, taking in a different ballgame in a podunk town every day of a season.
Alas, then I went and got married. So by all means, hit the road and report back so we can live vicariously through you.
May 7th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
[…] And over at The Pastime, my soon to be writing partner (more on that in my next post) has a post on Guys to Root For: Marcus McBeth After reading Mychael Urban’s interview with Marcus McBeth, the first selection in the “GTRF” category was easy. McBeth, as many Oakland fans already know, was an outfielder selected in the famous 2002 “Moneyball” draft. After three years in the system carrying subpar offensive numbers, McBeth was on his way out of baseball. He approached his pitching coach, and asked if he could work his way towards converting to being a pitcher. McBeth worked his butt off to make the move to the mound, and he’s been far more successful on the rubber than he was at the plate. […]