Major League Baseball 2003: A SOM replay

[lazershow]

pretty excited about this. Are you going to try and make the same trades for teams that happened that season? Like are Mike lowell and Josh Beckett coming to the sox of hanley and sanchez?

[OliDegu2008]

Quote: Originally Posted by lazershow

pretty excited about this. Are you going to try and make the same trades for teams that happened that season? Like are Mike lowell and Josh Beckett coming to the sox of hanley and sanchez?

Hey Lazer!

I do not plan on making the same trades, I will let each team decide dependent on their needs, ect as we move along the season.

I am pretty excited though for the potential depth of this, I ordered the blank players cards so I can use AAA/AA/A players if needed to!

Thanks for following!

[lazershow]

I also noticed manny ramirez isn't on the sox. He was ripping it up during those years.

[OliDegu2008]

Quote: Originally Posted by lazershow

I also noticed manny ramirez isn't on the sox. He was ripping it up during those years.

Good catch! That was an oversight on my behalf and the change has been made and updated.

Thanks again for the follow Lazer!

[lazershow]

those were the golden years of baseball for me. The sox still hadn't won a world series yet and I was so emotionally involved in them. I loved Manny until it got near the end. Then he was just a problem haha

[OliDegu2008]

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Pitching, homers, and injuries make headlines
on Opening Night in Anaheim

Anaheim, CA - Opening Night for Major League Baseball is in the books and if this opening game means anything in the grand scheme of things, it means there will be lots of crazy plays, injuries and moments that baseball fans will never forget.

Defending World Series Champions, the Anaheim Angels opened the season Sunday evening with an AL West division match-up against the Texas Rangers, pitting World Series hero John Lackey against Ismael Valdez of the Rangers.

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However, it just was not John Lackey's night.

The Rangers chased Lackey early in the game, tagging the young upstart for 5 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, his opponent on the hill, Valdez was great in his first outing of 2003, going 7 strong, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and striking out 2. Valdez is now 1-0 on the year while Lackey is 0-1.

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However, even more important than the scoreline was the injury bug that hit the Texas Rangers. Most notably was the injury to Rangers Utility player Kevin Mench who reportedly strained his hamstring while trying to beat out a groundball. (Update - Team officials have confirmed that Mench will be out for at least 15 games due to a right hamstring strain).

Mench was in the game, having replaced starting Rangers CF Doug Glanville who ran into the outfield wall trying to make a catch in the 7th inning. Glanville is undergoing concussion protocol and will be out for at least 3 days.

Hank Blalock and Juan Gonzalez both left the game early due to separate injuries that are not currently being disclosed by the team. However, as of this writing, manager Buck Showalter confirmed that both will not be playing in the next game for the team.

With that out of the way, let's talk a little offense shall we?

The Rangers took the lead taking advantage of a 4-run 3rd inning and never looked back.

Mark Teixeira hit a 3-run blast in the inning, his first of the the year.

The other offense for the Rangers came off of a Hank Blalock homer in the 2nd. Blalock was 2-3 before being removed from the game due to injury.

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The Angel's Garrett Anderson provided most of the offense for his squad, going 2-3 with a double, homer and 2 RBI. The Angels only managed 4 hits, 2 of those coming of Anderson's bat.

The game could have been a lot worse for the Angels, but their bullpen which pitched 6 2/3 innings, not allowing a run was magnificent on the night. Gary Glover and Ben Weber both went 2 innings a piece, allowing only 1 hit while together striking out 5.

For the Rangers, Ugueth Urbina earned his first save of the year, pitching a flawless 9th.

These teams take a day off tomorrow and will resume action with game 2 of this series on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is a day you will not want to miss, as it is Opening Day for 12 MLB teams!

POTG: Ismael Valdez - 7 innings pitched, 4 hits, 3 earned runs and 2 strikeouts en route to his first victory of the year.

[OliDegu2008]

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Royals down White Sox on Opening Day 5-2

Kansas City, MO - It was a warm, sunny afternoon in Kansas City as the Royals kicked off their 2003 campaign welcoming in division rivals, the Chicago White Sox.

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Runelvys Hernández got the OD start for the Royals and he did not disappoint. Hernandez went 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits. The one year vet Hernandez had all of his stuff working Monday which kept White Sox hitters off balance all afternoon.

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The White Sox started the game off right with a D'Angelo Jimenez triple (he later scored on a Frank Thomas sac-fly) but that was it until the last half inning. Thomas notched both RBI on the day for the ChiSox, with that sac-fly and a RBI groundout in the 9th that plated Jimenez.

The Royals on the other hand got to White Sox starter Mark Buehrle early, chasing him after 4 2/3 innings where he allowed 7 hits, 5 earned runs and 3 walks.

The Royals benefited from a 3-run 5th that put them on top 4-1. Joe Randa, Angel Berroa and Ken Harvey all had hits in the inning that plated runs and extended the lead for the home team.

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Harvey and Michael Tucker lead the way for the Royals on offense, both going 2-4. Tucker's 2 hits were both doubles.

The Royals had a save situation in the 9th with Chicago scoring a run so Mike MacDougal was brought in. MacDougal's 1/3 of an inning was drama filled however as he came in and gave up 2 hits right away and then was able to calm down and strike out Carlos Lee to end the game. It is MacDougal's first save of the year.

Both of these teams are off Tuesday and are back in action against one another on Wednesday in game 2 of this series.

POTG: Runelvys Hernández - 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 run and 3 K's and a WIN!

[OliDegu2008]

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O's pitch past Indians on Opening Day

Baltimore, MD - Nearly 47,000 fans packed Camden Yards to see their beloved Orioles take on the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day in Baltimore Monday.

The hometown team did not disappoint, defeating the Indians 3-2 behind a solid pitching performance from Rodrigo Lopez and a clutch 2-run home-run in the 2nd from Melvin Mora.

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Lopez pitched 6 1/3 innings Monday, notching 6 strikeouts while allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits. He earned the no decision. Picking up the win for the O's was Kerry Ligtenberg who came on in relief for Lopez and pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning to get the Orioles out of the 7th.

Reliever's B.J. Ryan and Jorge Julio pitched flawless 8th and 9th innings to hold the lead.

Indian’s starter C.C. Sabathia was good also but a costly unearned run in the 7th cost him a shot at a no decision. Sabathia finished the game with 6 hits allowed in 6 1/3 innings while allowing 3 runs (2 earned) and striking out 5 Orioles.

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The unearned run coming thanks in part to Indians pitcher Rafael Betancourt who was covering first base on a double-play attempt and simply dropped the ball on the throw from shortstop Omar Vizquel. Instead of the game being 2-2 going into the 8th, that run ultimately was was cost the Indians a chance at winning this game.

What could potentially be a serious blow to the Orioles was what appeared to be a minor injury to starting catcher Brook Fordyce in the 4th inning that has now turned into him being put on the 15-day DL. Fordyce is said to have seriously injured his ankle when running out a ground-ball. It is unknown the extent of his injury.

Speaking of catchers, Indians catcher Josh Bard hit his first home-run of the year, a solo shot in the 7th inning.

Tribe outfielder Milton Bradley also hit his first dinger of the year in the first inning on the first pitch off of Lopez.

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Lopez would obviously settle in and pitch well from there on out. Bradley would finish the game 2-2 with 2 walks, that home-run and a stolen base.

Jay Gibbons, O’s outfielder was 2-4 on the day. Tony Batista batting cleanup for the birds Monday was 1-3 with a double.

Both of these teams take a day off and will be back in action Wednesday against one another in game 2 of this Opening Week series.


POTG: Melvin Mora - 2 run home-run in the 2nd inning and Rodrigo Lopez - 6 1/3 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 6 strikeouts, no decision.