The clocks have gone forward an hour, the MLB season opener is a week away and\u00c2\u00a0it looks like there will be\u00c2\u00a0no MLB coverage on terrestrial TV.\u00c2\u00a0 The latter is a\u00c2\u00a0real disappointment, but WHGB will help to take our minds off the problem briefly with news of a pitcher retiring, the ever-present problem of injuries and some impressive Spring Training home run hitting feats.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Schilling signs off<\/strong><\/p>\n Curt Schilling announced<\/a> his retirement on Monday, bringing to an end a twenty-year Major League career and beginning the argument of whether he is worthy of a place in the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n Schilling was a very good regular season pitcher.\u00c2\u00a0 He didn’t win a Cy Young award, but he did finish second three times (twice to Arizona team mate Randy Johnson, once to Johan Santana).\u00c2\u00a0 He finished his career fifteenth on the all-time strikeouts list<\/a>, joint 80th on the all-time Wins list<\/a> and joint 119th on the all-time winning percentage list<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the greats, so a “very good” player would normally fall just short of the mark.\u00c2\u00a0 However what separates Schilling from many other “very good” players is his extraordinary performances in the postseason.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n In nineteen career postseason starts, Schilling posted a 2.23 ERA and an 11-2 record, throwing four complete games in the process.\u00c2\u00a0 More significantly, some of those starts have\u00c2\u00a0become part\u00c2\u00a0of the sport’s recent folklore.<\/p>\n As someone who started watching baseball in 1998, my initial experience of the World Series was of the Yankees winning again and again and again.\u00c2\u00a0 Naturally I wanted to see someone break their dominance in 2001 (although with 9\/11 still a very recent memory, that feeling wasn’t quite as strong as it was at the end of the 2000 World Series) and the deadly duo of Schilling and Johnson were the men to do it.\u00c2\u00a0 Schilling pitched superbly in his three starts, including the thrilling game seven that clinched a title for the D-Backs in only their fourth season.<\/p>\n Then, of course, there was his heroics in the 2004 ALCS and the subsequent World Series.\u00c2\u00a0 His infamous ‘bloody sock’ performances that helped the Red Sox ‘reverse the curse’ have gone down in sporting legend.\u00c2\u00a0 Boston’s 2007 success also saw Schilling collect a third World Series ring in what ultimately became his last appearance in the Majors.<\/p>\n I’m largely ambivalent<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0to the Hall of Fame, so I won’t be campaigning strongly for his (or anyone else’s) election.\u00c2\u00a0 Still, it strikes me that if Cooperstown is designed to immortalize those few players who left a lasting impression on the game, Schilling should be a resident.<\/p>\n Damn injuries<\/strong><\/p>\n Schilling lost what turned out to be his final Major League season to injury.\u00c2\u00a0 At this time of year, injuries are at the forefront of all baseball minds and Fantasy managers will be checking the injury news as closely as anyone.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n My first round pick Ryan Braun has been a regular cause of concern so far, with the player continuing to downplay a right side strain.\u00c2\u00a0 An MRI scan revealed no damage<\/a> this week but that hasn’t stopped the worrying on my part, or for Brewers fans.<\/p>\n Of all the current injuries, Joe Mauer’s continuing struggles are potentially the most damaging to a team’s cause.\u00c2\u00a0 Mauer is irreplaceable for the Twins, both in hitting at the plate and catching behind it.\u00c2\u00a0 Mike Redmond has proved to be a capable understudy, but playing every day is a very different proposition for the 38 year-old veteran.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n What has made Mauer’s injury all the worse is that the situation has developed slowly.\u00c2\u00a0 Strange as it sounds, a more definite problem such as a broken leg would be easier to deal with mentally.\u00c2\u00a0 You get the initial shock out of the system and then accept that he’s going to be out of action for a set period of time, based on the recovery period of other people who have had the same injury.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Mauer’s lower back pain didn’t seem like it was going to be a big problem, but it hasn’t gone away and right now it doesn’t appear as though anyone really knows how long he will be out for.\u00c2\u00a0 The uncertainty is difficult to deal with, especially for the player himself.<\/p>\n In the BGB fantasy league, Mauer owner Russ won’t be overly concerned because he also has Russell Martin on his roster.\u00c2\u00a0 Mauer can be moved to a DL spot and\u00c2\u00a0Russ will still get excellent production from his catcher position.\u00c2\u00a0 Sadly for Twins fans, no team has a Russell Martin backing up a Joe Mauer in the real world.<\/p>\n Balls spring off the bat<\/strong><\/p>\n The ball has been flying through the air in Arizona and Florida this week.<\/p>\n The Angels went back-to-back-to-back<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0on Thursday against the Indians. In football, the perfect hat trick involves scoring with your left foot, right foot and your head.\u00c2\u00a0 I guess what the Angels did is the home run hitting equivalent.\u00c2\u00a0 New recruit Bobby Abreu hit a shot to centre, then Vladimir Guerrero hit one into right field before Torii Hunter completed the show by launching a round-tripper to left.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott Lewis was the pitcher taken to task by the heart of the Angels’ batting lineup.\u00c2\u00a0 He had his spot in Cleveland’s rotation confirmed<\/a> earlier in the week.\u00c2\u00a0 I hope he’s got that in writing.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n