Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
April 02, 2007
Games of the Day

Happy Opening Day! It's the best day of the year and for some reason still isn't a national holiday. Every game is big today, but here's the best of the best.

The Yankees open in the Bronx with the most unlikely pitcher on mound, Carl Pavano. He last pitched on June 27, 2005 in Baltimore. Injuries major and minor forced the Yankees to alter their rotation, putting Carl in the spotlight. It's a chance for him to prove to jaded Yankees fans that he really wants to pitch in New York. He'll face Scott Kazmir, a pitcher the Devil Rays hope anchors their staff for years to come. He also always reminds New York Mets fans of the trade they wished they never made.

Jeremy Bonderman takes the mantle of Tigers ace today as he makes the opening day start. His record, ERA and innings pitched improved every year since he was a rookie during the Tigers terrible 2003 season. At age 24, he's reached the top. He'll face perennial Cy Young contender Roy Halladay. Roy's always had great control, with nearly a K/BB of nearly 3 for his career. With the Tigers a team that doesn't draw many walks, Roy's strength plays against the Tigers' weakness. Gary Sheffield makes his debut in a Tigers uniform, and we'll see if his selectivity can make a difference in that aspect of the Detroit game.

After two seasons of fighting injuries, Ben Sheets returns as the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers. He'll face Derek Lowe, as free agent hire Jason Schmidt does not get the number one assignment. When Ben is right he's among the best pitchers in the league, and the good Dodgers lineup will be an excellent test for him.

The two defending Cy Young winners each get to start today. Brandon Webb travels to the Mile High City to face Aaron Cook and the Colorado Rockies. Brandon's pitched very well at Coors during his career, with a 3.88 ERA in ten starts. Cook's 2006 was successful despite a poor strikeout rate. He only allowed 17 homers however, and limited damage due to walks.

The AL champion, Johan Santana, faces someone who might be poised to challenge the lefty for this year's Cy Young award, Erik Bedard. Santana is the complete package of power power and control. Bedard made a big move in that direction last year, cutting down on his walks without sacrificing his strikeouts.

There's plenty of other great matchups out there. Tom Bridge offers his opening day credo. Enjoy the day and may your favorite team win!


Posted by David Pinto at 10:39 AM | Matchups | TrackBack (0)
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