Welcome back, baseball. You've been missed.

There are many things I do that drive Gina crazy. One is watching the MLB Network almost all the time. If there is nothing else on TV I will flip channels to MLB Network. I watch it in the morning when getting ready for work. I turn the TV in the living room to it. Then I move to the bedroom to get ready and turn the TV in there to it. Then when Gina gets home in the afternoon all of the TVs in the house are on baseball.

But starting today I can get my baseball fix by watching in person. It's opening day and Gina and I will be at the ballpark watching the Rangers take on the Blue Jays. If I am remembering correctly, this is our fourth opening day together. I had never been to the opener until I met her. I am lucky. As much as I love baseball, Gina loves it just as much, if not more. She wrote about it on her blog here. (And while you are there check out the pictures of her cakes and encourage her to post some of the recent pics of the cupcakes she's been making. My girl's got skills, ya'll!)

So, welcome back, baseball. At least in our house you've been missed.

The end of summer. The end of good times.

I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but if you follow the links to my job you may have cleverly deduced it, but I live in Dallas.

As the title of this post says, today is the end of summer and the end of good times. At least for me. The Dallas Cowboys opened their training camp today. That means non-stop media coverage. Head coach press conferences. Interviews with and stories about guys who have no chance to make the team. Two weeks from now they'll be back to cleaning pools and stacking bags of concrete at the hardware store.

But for me, the baseball fan, today means that the one sport I really care about will be relegated to an afterthought, even though the Rangers are still in contention and are playing some exciting baseball.

( I know I've mentioned the Royals in posts before. Let's not talk about them and the massive collapse they've had. Move along. Nothing to see.)

UPDATE: I posted this initial post at 3:06 p.m. I started writing it because the Dallas Cowboys training camp press conference had just started a few minutes before. It's an hour later now and it just ended.

A bit of an indulgence

If you'll permit me, I need a moment to bask in the glow of first place. My Royals, the lowly team in KC that for the longest has had little to shout about, they are in first place. They are getting there thanks in no small part to the arm of a kid who's not yet 25. Zack Greinke has won his first 6 starts of the season and last night he shutout the White Sox, striking out 10 and dropping his ERA to a minuscule 0.40.
I link to Joe Posnanski's blog over there on the right. He's a columnist for the KC Star and one heck of a writer. You don't have to like sports to enjoy reading him. At least I don't think so. He was at the game last night. Here's his report.

Fantasy baseball, I'm back

It's been at least five years, but probably more, since I have played fantasy baseball. I've never been any good at it, but thought that since I was writing on occasion for a friend's fantasy baseball web site I should probably have a team. Plus, I was missing it. It's always fun in the early part of the season -- drafting, setting lineups, tracking daily progress. There is a point, however, when it can become tedious -- setting lineups, tracking daily progress. It all becomes a hassle. Part of that may be because my teams are never that good. It's harder to stay interested in a team when it is losing consistently.

I think my problem with fantasy sports is that I have never had the interest in statistics that is required to be a successful fantasy player. I still have my favorite players and that childlike belief that those guys can do anything. Even if the smart move is to look over them and go get the who puts up better numbers, I just can't do it.

That's also why I wouldn't make a good baseball owner. I'd go get all of the guys that I like, even if I look at them with rose-colored glasses.

ESPN baseball power rankings

ESPN has released its first power rankings of the baseball season. The two teams I follow are paired in the bottom half.

22. Texas Rangers

A pair of long shots make the team: Kris Benson cracks the rotation; Andruw Jones lands a spot on the bench.

23. Kansas City Royals

The popular pick to make some noise in the AL Central? Could this team be this year's version of the 2008 Rays?

I can't say I am surprised. The Rangers and Royals never get much respect from ESPN. My opinion may also be colored by my fandom. I am not above having a bias when it comes to baseball. The bias is the best thing about being a baseball fan, especially this time of year.

We are a day away from the season starting. All of the teams have broken camp in Florida or Arizona. Players are getting ready to start the games that count. And the fans are busy working out the things that need to happen for their team to finish first. Trying to tell themselves if this rookie can play to his potential and that veteran can find the from he had three years ago then we could win.

I will admit that I have spent a few moments that I am not too proud of reveling in the injuries to the A's and Angels' pitching staffs. I am not a sadist and hope that the injured pitchers get better. But the fan part of me is thinking that this could mean good things for my Rangers, especially the Angels injuries. If they can struggle at the outset and the Rangers can play better to start the season than they have the last two years then we have a shot. Did you see the way we played in the middle months of 2008? We weere one of the best teams in baseball. If we can extend that to a complete season and avoid injuries then this team can surprise.

And the Royals? They play in one of the weakest divisions in the game. The top of their rotation is improved and they have a young, stud closer coming in to shut the door. Their offense was the big weakness last season but this spring that's been the least of their worries. New hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has them swinging the sticks like the 1927 Yankees. OK, not that well, but what can I tell you, I'm a fan. I am only looking for the positive, and if they can start this season like they ended the last one then we may have something.

My writing elsewhere

An old friend of mine contacted me a few months ago about contributing to a fantasy baseball site that he was helping to start. It's called Baseball Instinct and there is a link to it on the right. Or you can just click here to go to the home page.
He just posted my second piece to the site.

I am having fun coming up with stuff to write there. I don't have the fantasy experience that the other contributors have so the stuff I am writing isn't as analytical, but I think that's OK. You need some lighter stuff.

My first piece was on the Royals. You can find it here.

I know it's not a paying market and it's not fiction, but I like that my words are out there somewhere other than here.