From the weird stats pile...

• Kevin Youkilis is the only AL'er with a triple so far
• #1 and #2 in runs created in the AL? Lind & Wells.
• Carlos Quentin the first guy to be hit TWICE so far - hope he has good padding or enjoys bruises
• Ryan Sweeney in Oakland has come up to the plate 9 times and made 10 outs (hit into 2 double plays and has a single)
• Greg Zaun does him better by coming up just 8 times and making 11 outs for Milwaukee (3 GIDP's) Ouch.
• Pujols already leads the NL in avg/obp/slg and HR but isn't clutch as he is 6th in RBI's
• Eric Hinske has a triple already

Gotta love April.

From The Star:

Blue Jays prospect Adeiny Hechavarria has secured a U.S. visa and will report to the Blue Jays’ Florida training complex by week’s end, his agent says.

Bart Hernandez, who represents Hechavarria and several other Cuban defectors, says the highly-touted shortstop is still in Cancun, Mexico but will soon depart for Dunedin, where he will undergo a physical exam before officially joining the Jays.

 

I kind of wish Adeiny was holed up somewhere other than Cancun.  What with spring break and all.

I've always hated the day off after Opening Day.

I was thinking the same thing yesterday, but...the off day after opening day is actually pretty rare: 2010, 2007, 2002 (2 days off - rainout?), 2001, looking back as far as 1999. I actually thought it would be more often than that. Is there a stated reason for this strange scheduling feature coming up at all though? Series with off days in them are rare beasts the rest of the year, why throw away happy opening game feelings?

Biggest surprise - the standings already look a lot like the pre-season predictions, especially at the bottom (Orioles, Blue Jays, Royals, Cleveland, Nationals, Marlins, Astros, Dodgers) with only the Pirates/Dodgers surprising. This "straight to the bottom" thing won't last for everyone, but was striking the first 1.5 days of action.  The Al West, predicted by many to be a four team dogfight, is already there.

A nice little PSA to pass along: I'm with Bell and they're offering a free MLB Extra Innings preview until the 10th; channels are 485-497 here in Gatineau.  I suspect Rogers is doing likewise.

ay, I think we're fine as long as he doesn't let anyone know he's "Canadian" while he's down there.

Yep Rogers too is offering the MLB Extra Innings Free Preview.

The off day after opening day is in place in case of bad weather, which is most likely in early April. Because Opening Day is usually the most attended game for teams that don't sell out any other game, MLB wants to keep a day available so Opening Day still comes before "game 2".

Here's another weird stat for you: in today's SF-HOU game, the SF 1-2 hitters, Rowand and Renteria, had NINE hits (and one walk) between them, but despite the fact that SF scored 10 runs, Rowand and Renteria only scored 2 of them. It's kind of convoluted, but that seems unlikely to me.

Hentgen was on the Fan and really liked the move of Purcey to the bullpen. He really liked Purcey's stuff where he can just focus on 2 pitches.

I think it's likely Harden outpitches Tallet today. Law of averages and all that.

Baltimore took no time to match the Jays; blown save and loss. The race is on.

Talk about Three True Outcomes. In 3 2/3, Harden faced 19 batters, striking out 8, walking 5, and giving up 1 HR (his only hit allowed).

Five runs on two hits.  An Earl Weaver special.  Nonetheless, Gonzalez will be taken to task in the clubhouse for hitting his homer without runners on!

I hate to be a one-note Charlie, but I really think that it would have been beneficial for Harden's career if he had been in a tandem starter regime.  The idea of having him try to go 6 or 7 innings every 5 days seems to me to be much less likely to succeed than 3 innings every 3 days or 4 innings every 4 days.  Tonight's game illustrates his issues, and when you combine the long counts with the fragile arm, the whole way pitching staffs are set up seems to me to result in a lack of full utilization of the talents of a pitcher like Harden.

It's never being a one note when a MLB team never gives it a shot to go with tandem starters.