Looked Like a Baseball Game, Only Longer

So, opening night came and went. Slowly. Very slowly. In fact, as I am a baseball purist, no hitters and shutouts might earn enough credit for wish number three from a hot bikini clad genie. But that game was just dreadful. I longed to turn the channel and find something that would better occupy my time. I searched for a home makeover show in the hopes of finding one that would allow me to watch paint dry on t.v. Alas it was not meant to be. I was stuck. So I watched on, and as I watched I saw some early likes and dislikes for the newborn season.

Starting with the positives:
-Jake Peavy going after everyone. 6+ , ten strikeouts, zero runs. Good Jake.
-Outfielders making very tough plays. Some separating shoulders for the good of the team.
-The New Ball Park. Still so cool.
-The crowd. They were into it. Well, at least for the first two and a half hours.
-The idea of the game. As mentioned, shutouts are usually good. It was entertaining for 6 innings.
-Brian Giles looking the same size as he was in 2004. I was a bit concerned that he might have talked with Canseco once or twice. Nice to be proven wrong.
-Being a first time season ticket holder.

And now the dislikes:
-The New Ball Park. Wait.
-The coaching. Yeah, here we go. I know it’s game three they are rusty too.
-The people blabbing away on their cell phones behind home plate. “Can you believe I’m at a baseball game?” You are in the best seats in the park, watch the damned game. Idiots.
-3 hours 39 minutes of Matt and Mark and Tony trying to make this thing interesting. Do you know who Kevin Maas is? I remember now.
-This whole “X” Nady thing. That might be the worst nickname given to a Padre. Knock that off before it sticks. I won’t be a part of it.
-Having to give away my first season tickets on Saturday for something as trivial as some stupid wedding. Man. I hate that. Stupid weddings, with three open bars until midnight. There had better be a t.v. there.

Man. This new ball park is great. I love it. I love it so. I also hate it. A lot. It’s as if we have learned nothing from last year about the homestead. This is a ridiculously tough place to hit. Colorado showed that you can do just about anything out there and score ten runs. Yeah, well welcome back to reality guys. This place was a graveyard last night, the ball just died all over the park. (Joke about the Pope’s pallbearer’s edited for decency) If we are to improve on that stupendous 42-39 record at home from the rookie campaign, then we are going to have to start hitting, or start playing small ball. We are going to have to win a bunch of extra inning one run games. I am a bit skeptical that we can do that with this staff. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see us make it happen, believe me, but I am being overpaid here to give an opinion of what I think is going to happen. I don’t want to be right. It’s a good thing I usually enjoy those low to no scoring affairs, cause we are going to see a lot of ‘em.

The coaching. There was one good decision and one bad. Pulling Jake in the 6th was the right thing to do. First start, 6+ innings and his control was just starting to slip. Get him out of there, save his arm for the season. Good move. Then it happened. I got all giddy inside about the tenth inning because the torture was on the verge of ending. STILL zero to zero and we manage to pack two bags with nobody out. The current number eight hitter was Sean Burroughs and I saw bunt in the future. Then, out of no where, there was no bunt. No bunt attempt. Not one. Pop fly for out number one. He of the horrible nickname managed to get his stomach ailment in check long enough to get off the pot and go for what I though would be a bunt attempt. Once again, no bunt. No bunting. Hey, pop flies are in season though. The replacement for separated shoulders in center field strikes out, and there goes the inning. I thought to myself Boch really wants us to get our opening day’s worth here. Hey, it’s only the home opener of a four game set with an inferior team that we should beat four times in a row if we are any good. Let’s use every arm in the bullpen the first night. Good idea. Two more innings later, after two more pitchers, and way too many pitches to even keep track of while trying to prop my eyelids open, this thing was finally put to bed with an u-g-l-y sacks full walk for a W. We got the win. But it was about as satisfying as a warm beer on a cold, rainy, beach. Hopefully there will be less ugliness and more runs tonight as we rewind this thing.