I know none of you care but ........ (the Baseball thread)

[Dave Cooper please]

Isn't that German for butter?

Garlic.

[UK Redsox]

Here it is, the news that all of you have been waiting for

Santana traded from the Minnesota Twins to the New York Mets

This is like Rooney or Ronaldo moving clubs

[VillaZogmariner]

Started watching Baseball whilst holidaying in the States a few years ago (Took a soft spot for the Kansas City Royals) so 2 questions about this

1. When does the season start again?

2. What Channel shows the games?

[London Villan]

Season starts towards the end of April I think.

Loads of games live on Five and no doubt Sky show some as they seem to show more US sports than anything else!

[UK Redsox]

Season starts towards the end of April I think.

Loads of games live on Five and no doubt Sky show some as they seem to show more US sports than anything else!

Sorry LV, wrong on both counts [-X

There's no baseball on Sky

"Five" show two games live each week (Sunday and Wednesday nights).

NASN (part of the Setanta package) show over 200 games per season either live or on tape-delay.

All games are available "On Demand" via MLB.com.

Players report for Spring Training in mid-Feb.

Pre-season games begin early March.

There are two games between the Red Sox & A's in Japan in late March. The season proper starts in the first week of April and runs until the end of September.

Playoffs and World Series take place in October.

[VillaZogmariner]

So I'm going to have to sign up to bloody Sultana. Arse.

[UK Redsox]

So I'm going to have to sign up to bloody Sultana. Arse.

Its worth it because NASN also shows programmes such as "Baseball Tonight" (with the legend that is Peter Gammons) and "Pardon the Interruption" (with the even more legendary Tony "Satchmo" Kornheiser).

However, for about £50 a season you can subscribe to MLB.com's video package which provides all the games, highlight reals, radio broadcasts etc.

[UK Redsox]

So, is Roger "Rocket" Clemens guilty of using steroids and HGH or not ?

Discuss ............................


Meanwhile, "Pitchers and Catchers" have reported for Spring Training

[Comrade Blitz]

He hasn't convinced me that he's innocent.

Anyone recall who it was that said their 4 favourite words were "pitchers and catchers report"

Was it Yogi Berra?

Pleased also to report that the wife has grown to like baseball as much as I do cricket.

A bloke at Macy's gave me some stick for my Phillies hat recently - I told him I was born with it on my head.....

[Rotterdam]

Redsox - I'm in NYC at the end of August and could see the Yankees v Blue Jays (I think) or your Red Sox. Silly question, but which would you go for as a neutral? and how much for and where would you buy 6 tickets ? All advice needed.

[Comrade Blitz]

Yankees tickets will probably be hard to come by as this is their last season at Yankee Stadium.

If you get the chance try a minor league game:

http://www.siyanks.com/

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp

or the Mets.

[UK Redsox]

Redsox - I'm in NYC at the end of August and could see the Yankees v Blue Jays (I think) or your Red Sox. Silly question, but which would you go for as a neutral? and how much for and where would you buy 6 tickets ? All advice needed.

As jkreejoh says above, Yankees tickets this year will be extremely hard to come by. I'll be at the Sox @ Yankees game on 27 August. Whether I stay for the game on the 28th will depend on the cost.

The Blue Jays game should have better availability.

The first place to check for tickets is the Yankees section on http://www.mlb.com

After that, try Sports Travel & Tours. As well as 5 to 10 day escorted trips they also have a tickets only section.

I've used Sports Travel for over ten years now and can vouch for their service (in fact my ugly mug appears twice in their 2008 Baseball brochure)

There's also http://www.stubhub.com which I've never used but understand to be reputable.

Remember that the rules on reselling tickets in the USA are far more relaxed than over here.

[UK Redsox]

Yankees tickets will probably be hard to come by as this is their last season at Yankee Stadium.

If you get the chance try a minor league game:

http://www.siyanks.com/

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp

or the Mets.

My August trip ends up in NYC. I'm considering tacking on a Brooklyn Cyclones game.

I may also fly in a couple of days early in order to make one last trip to Shea (and hope to catch a Johan Santana appearance).

[VillaZogmariner]

Come on you Royals!

[UK Redsox]

Come on you Royals!

I know that you're cooped up in a tin can but please keep your Camilla Parker-Bowles fantasies to yourself.

Meanwhile, the baseball Royals don't have a hope in hell.

Kansas City was the site of one of my all time baseball highlights. A few years ago I turned up at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum just as the legend that was Buck O'Neil arrived.



A true gentleman

R.I.P. Buck