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Felix Hernandez ties club record with 14th straight quality start

Mariners’ SP Felix Hernandez tied Eric Hanson’s club record of 14 straight quality starts. Hernandez’s streak started last Aug. 1, and he has compiled an 8-1 record and 2.16 ERA, allowing 24 earned runs in 100 innings.

Ichiro now eligible for Hall of Fame consideration

Ichiro Suzuki’s first at bat on Monday night game him 10 years of Major League service, therefore making him now eligible for the BaseballHall of Fame.  (mlb.com)

Span and Sain and Pray for Rain

A word of good advice: never join a league that schedules it’s draft for Easter Sunday.

For obvious reasons, I completely forgot about the Easter draft for one of my online leagues so the league auto-drafted for me. Check out my, ummm, pitching staff:

• Chad Billingsley
• Gavin Floyd
• Kevin Correia
• Randy Wells
• Ben Sheets
• Justin Duchscherer
• Ryan Rowland-Smith
• Andrew Bailey
• Brian Wilson (How did I wind up with the Beach Boys lead singer!!!!)
• Huston Street

I’m surprised the league couldn’t find a way to stick me with Dice-K and Mark Prior as well. Hey, my fault for not remembering or setting up draft preferences. I do have Mark Texeira to anchor my offense so there is some hope on that side.

Cue the theme from M*A*S*H……

Time to Consider Francona the Greatest Sox Manager of All Time?

While I certainly do not agree with every move that Tito makes, his numbers as Red Sox manager have to at least put him into the discussion as their greatest manager of all time.

Going into his seventh season at the helm of the Sox, Francona sports an all-time record of 565-407, for a winning percentage of .581. Part of this is certainly the byproduct of being with a club that has a very competent General Manager in Theo Epstein and that can out spend almost every other team in baseball (with the exception of that squad a ways down Route 95 South). Still, Terry’s 565 wins trail only Joe Cronin’s all time team win record of 1071. Cronin, however, managed the team for 12 years and only had a winning percentage of .539. You could also argue that Cronin was part of a regime, along with General Manager Eddie Collins and Owner Tom Yawkey, that helped retard Boston’s progress from the mid 1940’s to the late 1960’s through their overtly racist policies. Under Cronin’s tutelage as Manager and General Manager, the Red Sox were the last team in major league baseball to integrate when they signed Pumpsie Green in 1959. Despite being the final team to sign a black ball player, under Cronin the Sox did have the chance to sign both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays in the mid to late 1940’s. Cronin unfortunately had no interest in either player.

Sorry to get side tracked, I’m back to Terry Francona. Among Red Sox managers with 300 games at the helm, Francona ranks third behind Joe McCarthy (.606) and Bill Carrigan (.599) in winning percentage.

Tito is also tied with Bill ‘Rough’ Carrigan (1915, 1916) in leading the Red Sox to two World Championships. Francona is first all time with 5 playoff appearances, sporting a record of 28-17 in post season play. Consider that the other 42 managers in Red Sox history combined for a grand total of 51 post season wins. By my estimate, Terry should pass that figure when his 2012 Red Sox team wins its third post season game after falling one game short in the 2010 World Series and winning it all in 2011!

Daily Update – Monday, April 5, 2010

• Roy Halladay did not disappoint in his National League debut on Monday; strikes out 9, 1 ER, 6H in 7 IP. Phillies 11 Nationals 1.
• Baseball salaries  have increased slightly heading into 2010 MLB season
• White Sox SP Mark Buehrle allowed three hits over seven innings of work as White Sox take the opener over the Indians. White Sox 6 Indians 0.
• President Obama was “just a bit outside” while throwing out the first pitch at the Washington nationals home opener today.
• All-World 1B Albert Pujols goes 4-for-5, including 2 HRs, to power the Cardinals past the Reds.  Cardinals 11 Reds 6.
• Pirates OF Garret Jones homers twice to help Pirates beat the Dodgers on Opening Day. Pirates 11 Dodgers 5.
• White Sox OF Carlos Quentin didn’t have a great day. He plunked by pitches twice today
• Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum flirted with a no hitter through 6 IP but Blue Jays end up losing the game. Rangers 5 Blue Jays 4.
• BoSox prospect Ryan Westmoreland is on the road to recovery.

Opening Day – Part II

Welcome to Opening Day, not to be confused with Opening Night

Check back later today after the games kick off as we will cover all of the Opening Day festivities for you.

13 Opening Days in just one afternoon….life is good!