Friday, March 5, 2010

World Series Preview!

With the Yankees and Phillies meeting up for the first time since the Yankees won the World Series it was a preview of the matchup come the end of the baseball season. With the lineups and rotations each has they were essentially displaying the game one matchup between Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia.

Deep breath...alright now let's calm down and take yesterday for what it was. A spring training game in March. It was not a preview of anything other than what lineup might be seen for the next game. While quite possibly, maybe probably, the favorites to meet there again after all, it was far from a preview of anything significant.

With that being said, yesterday was a nice debut and start for both pitchers, and something for the fans to get excited about in the right frame of mind. They both threw two scoreless innings, and were comfortable after the game. Halladay did have the better outing in the short stint though, as he was able to strike out three while not having a baserunner in either inning.

Again, in the scheme of things this did not mean much, but baseball is back. The two top teams from last year saw their aces throw well, and both teams are ready for another long run. Let's just let it get started before we get too excited.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Upton moving Uptown


Justin Upton is no doubt a talent, and now that talent will be staying in Arizona for quite awhile. He will be making a pretty penny too. Upton signed on Wednesday with the Diamondbacks for $51.25 million over six years. Age 22, Upton had a historical year last year, as he had a batting average of .300, 26 home runs and 86 RBI's. Just the sixth time in the last five years.

Upton has been dubbed the future of the Diamondbacks franchise and now with this deal he is set to be there through 2015. Having had enough pressure on him before the deal, having had his brother BJ selected number two in the draft, and then to be chosen number one by Arizona in 2005, Justin has no fear of the future, and really neither should Arizona. Especially with his confidence:

I want to be great, that's the thing. If you want to be great, then you set your
goals higher.
He is coming off an all star season, has all the tools to be a great player, and is humble. He is the guy that Arizona wanted, and now has for years to come:

We view him as a core player, one of our key pieces, and as we view the
next six years the kind of guy we want to build around.