SB Nation User Blog: BubbaFan

Houston, we have a problem...

BubbaFan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:11:07 -0000

The other day, I joked about Hurricane Ike heading for Bubba Crosby's house. I was half-kidding; the entire coast of Texas was in the "cone of uncertainty." But lo, and behold...today, it looks like Houston really is in the crosshairs. Ike is projected to pass just south of Houston/Galveston, which is the worst possible track. (It means Houston gets the "dirty" side of the storm - the stronger side.) Though the NHC is predicting it will make landfall as a Category 3, some forecasters are predicting it will be a Category 4.

There's also an interesting new measure of hurricanes. (Call it hurricane sabermetrics.) Jeff Masters describes a new scale coincidentally called IKE (Integrated Kinetic Energy), that is supposed to be a better measure of a hurricane's power than the Saffir-Simpson scale. By that measure, Ike is the powerful Atlantic hurricane in 40 years.

The good news is that it's avoiding the major oil infrastructure. The bad news is that there are many refineries in the Houston area. They are being shut down and evacuated. The Gulf area is not fully recovered from Gustav, and now they're having to shut down again.

Not surprisingly, wholesale gasoline had a record-setting price spike today. Actual shortages are a possibility, since so many refineries are shut down. (It takes a couple of weeks for refinery products from the Gulf to reach midwest, and longer for the northeast, so if there are problems, they won't be immediate.)

This looks like it's going to be a bad storm, and it's probably not possible to evacuate Houston at this point. They are concentrating on evacuating only the lowest-lying areas, and asking everyone else to "shelter in place" in order to keep the roads clear for those who must evacuate. Reports from Houston are that the highways are bumper-to-bumper, and many gas stations are out of gas.

The warnings from the National Hurricane Center are very stark:

LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!
All neighborhoods...and possibly entire coastal communities...will be inundated during high tide. Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one or two story homes will face certain death. Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed. Widespread and devastating personal property damage is likely elsewhere. Vehicles left behind will likely be swept away. Numerous roads will be swamped...some may be washed away by the water. Entire flood prone coastal communities will be cutoff. Water levels may exceed 9 feet for more than a mile inland. Coastal residents in multi-story facilities risk being cutoff. Conditions will be worsened by battering waves. Such waves will exacerbate property damage...with massive destruction of homes...including those of block construction. Damage from beach erosion could take years to repair.

As you might expect, Ike is wreaking havoc on sports schedules. The Washington State-Baylor football game has been moved up to Friday night. Texas-Arkansas has been postponed, TCU-Stanford has been moved up, and Houston-Air Force was moved from Houston to Dallas.

The Houston Astros really, really wanted to get their series against the Cubs in this weekend. They have a roof, so they've never had a weather cancellation. They have a chance to make the postseason, and they didn't want to give up home field advantage in this key series.

However, a Category 4 hurricane is not exactly your typical inclement weather. The Cubs balked, not wanting to get stuck in Houston during a hurricane. Eventually, the Astros saw reason (or Bud Selig stepped in). The games have been postponed.

Rick Sweet is IL Manager of the Year

BubbaFan — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:53:33 -0000

The International League postseason All-Stars were announced today. There were a couple of familiar names. The Manager of the Year is Rick Sweet of the Louisville Bats. And Ryan Hanigan got the nod at catcher.

Here's the full list:

2008 IL AWARD WINNERS

Most Valuable Player: Jeff Bailey, Pawtucket Red Sox
Most Valuable Pitcher: Charlie Zink, Pawtucket Red Sox
Rookie of the Year: Randy Ruiz, Rochester Red Wings
Manager of the Year: Rick Sweet, Louisville Bats

2008 IL ALL-STAR TEAM

1B Oscar Salazar, Norfolk Tides
2B Joe Thurston, Pawtucket Red Sox
SS Reid Brignac, Durham Bulls
3B Mike Hessman, Toledo Mud Hens
C Ryan Hanigan, Louisville Bats
OF Josh Anderson, Richmond Braves
OF Jeff Bailey, Pawtucket Red Sox
OF Chris Carter, Pawtucket Red Sox
DH Brad Eldred, Charlotte Knights
UT Chris Getz, Charlotte Knights
SP Charlie Zink, Pawtucket Red Sox
RP Blaine Neal, Toledo Mud Hens

The things you find on the Internets....

BubbaFan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:02:21 -0000

I was greatly amused by Jeremy's post:

How many times have you been divorced? Divorce is an archaic counting stat, the batting average or rbi of relationship statistics if you will. I’ve long felt DVPB (domestic violence charges plus bastard children sired) or the committed relationship index (CRI calculated by total months of committed relationships status minus total of one night stands) were much more accurate measures of a relationship success and predictor of future relationship prowess. By any measure I’m still Corey Patterson…

LOL! It reminded me of this site: CriminalSearches.com. Sort of the Baseball Reference of criminals. It works best if you have a name and date of birth, which of course makes pro baseball players ideal fodder...

First I checked a couple who are known to have criminal records, like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. Yup, they're there.

Josh Hamilton was nailed for fishing without a license, among other things. Bronson Arroyo got caught speeding. Homer Bailey got a DWI. (Good grief. He hasn't been old enough to drink for very long.) Ryan Freel has a lengthy record, starting from when he was a juvenile. If Mrs. Slyde really did answer one of Freel's Craigslist ads, Slyde's gonna have his hands full. ;-)

CriminalSearches.com also solved the mystery of why the Mariners dumped Bronson Sardinha. Sardinha was the Yankees' first round draft pick a few years ago, and was hitting very well for the Tacoma Rainiers. I saw Sardinha's name on the suspended list, then suddenly, he was released. I figured he must have done something, and he admitted he made an "off the field mistake." I guessed DWI...and that's what it was. (And no, the California police couldn't fit his middle name on the form.)

Quiet trade leads to big first half awards

BubbaFan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:34:52 -0000

NBC Sports has some midseason awards, and some nice things to say about Voltron...

When the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds announced a three-player deal last Dec. 21st, it raised a few eyebrows, but the word ‘blockbuster’ wasn’t exactly being thrown around.
But that deal could have the most impact in terms of postseason awards than any in memory. Edinson Volquez arguably was the best pitcher in the National League in the first half, and you can make a strong case for Josh Hamilton as the American League Most Valuable Player in the absence of a dominant performer on a likely playoff team.
Throw in minor-league pitcher Johnny Herrera, who went to the Reds along with Volquez, and you have a deal that has turned into an exchange of emerging stars, even though nobody knew it at the time. A look at the award winners after the first half:

They picked Hamilton as AL MVP:

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, Texas. His comeback story keeps getting better, and now we’re talking about one of the best players in the game — not just one who beat the odds and chemical addiction that almost ruined his career before it got started.
Hitting cleanup in the game’s highest-scoring offense, Hamilton is the majors’ runaway leader in RBI. And his hitting instructor — highly respected Rudy Jaramillo — says Hamilton has more raw power than two of Jaramillo’s former pupils, Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez.

And Volquez as NL Cy Young:

NL Cy Young: Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati. Brandon Webb leads the league in victories. Aaron Cook leads in innings pitched. Tim Lincecum leads in strikeouts and winning percentage. Ben Sheets leads in complete games.
But when it comes to dominant outings and impressive performances — not to mention the league’s best ERA and opponents’ batting average — the choice is Volquez. With mid-90s heat and a killer changeup, Volquez allowed two earned runs or less in his first 12 starts. And who says Great American Ballpark is a bandbox? Actually, everybody says that. But it isn’t when Volquez is on the mound, as his home ERA is 2.17.

Mets borrow Andy Phillips, then return him to the Reds

BubbaFan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:46:06 -0000

Andy Phillips is back. The Mets DFA'd him on Tuesday. (They needed a spot starter after the doubleheader against the Yanks Friday.)

Andy did not clear waivers; the Reds claimed him. He is expected to be with the team in time to play in tonight's game.

Daryl Thompson was optioned back to Louisville to clear a roster spot for him.

From Trent:

"It's the right thing to do," Thompson said.
Baker said they weren't sure of their pitching plans after the day off on Monday. If the Reds stay on rotation, they wouldn't need a fifth starter until Saturday.

Oh, and Happy Independence Day!

Whatever happened to the Class of '98?

BubbaFan — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:50:57 -0000

Ten years ago today, Bubba Crosby became a pro baseball player, when he signed with the Dodgers. He was a first round draft pick (number 23 overall), and got a million bucks for signing on the dotted line. He was seen as a five-tool player, and many were surprised he fell as low as he did. Baseball America picked him as the 12th best prospect in the nation, the 6th best college prospect, and the #1 college outfielder.

Alas, his pro career did not unfold as expected. With the recent news that Bubba has retired, and the current excitement over the new batch of draftees, I decided to look back at the Class of '98, and see how they did.

Well, at least Bubba made it to the big leagues. Eight of the 1998 first round draft picks (just over one-quarter) did not. Some didn't make it past A-ball.

The number one pick that year was Pat Burrell. The Phillies have to be happy with that pick. He was in the majors and producing only two years later. Number 2 was Mark Mulder, another good pick.

At number three, we have...Corey Patterson. Hmmm. Gotta think the Cubs would pick someone else if they got a do-over.

At number four, we have Jeff Austin. He did reach the majors, but had a short and not terribly impressive career. The Royals eventually traded him (with Brian Shackelford) to Cincinnati for Damaso Espino and Alan Moye. The Reds released him a year later.

At number 5 was JD Drew, a good pick by the Cards. He was playing with the big club that very year.

At number 6, the Twins picked Ryan Mills. He didn't make it to the big leagues.

Numbers 7 & 8 are a couple of familiar names: Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez.

At number 9 was Sean Burroughs (called "The Bachelor" - because he could only hit singles). He was seen as a disappointment, and seems to be out of baseball now.

At number 10 was one of the most interesting picks: Carlos Pena. I guess you could call him a late bloomer. He seemed to be a dud. He was traded and released by several teams, including the Yankees (who badly needed a first baseman at the time). He had to settle for a non-roster invite to Rays spring training in 2007, his age 29 year. But he played so well he not only made the team - they signed him to a 3-year, $24 million contract the next year. (I have to wonder if they'll regret that. He seems to have fallen back to earth this season.)

As for the rest of the list...there are some familiar names (Jeff Weaver, Brad Lidge, Kip Wells, CC Sabathia), as well as many that aren't exactly household names. (Like the Yankees' pick, one Andy Brown, who basically played A-ball for the Yankees for seven years.)

I guess this is what they mean when they say there's no such thing as a can't-miss prospect. I wonder if they're any better at judging talent now than they were 10 years ago. A brief glance at other years suggests not, but it's a very small sample size, given that it's too early to tell how the more recent draft years will shape up.

Wherein Nick Green nearly kills me (Maloney vs. Horne)

BubbaFan — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:31:48 -0000

SCRANTON / WILKES-BARRE, PA - APRIL 10, 2008: Yeah, yeah. This is way late. I meant to post it earlier, but I had a lot of stuff to catch up on after playing hooky three days in a row to go to baseball games. Then I had a trip to the midwest. (Which was really cool. I heartily recommend the new dinosaur exhibit at the Carnegie.)

So here I am, posting a game report two months after the game. Many of the players I saw in this minor league game have since been called up (some have been called up and sent down and called up again). But hey, mas vale tarde que nunca, and all that.

I got a seat in the same section as the previous two days - third deck, right above first base. I asked for the seat in the first row on the end, though I figured it wouldn't matter; I expected the section to be empty again.

It was hardly crowded, but there were a few more people than there had been. In particular, my Air Force friends from the day before were already there, and already well-lubricated. They yelled a boisterous greeting at me as soon as they spotted me. It was kind of embarrassing. Everyone was looking at us, and everyone thought I was with them.

There was also a family with children, including a baby, who sat right behind me. They were the oddest and most unfriendly people I have ever encountered at a ballpark. (At least if you don't count that Ed Smith Stadium employee who told me cameras weren't allowed at the ballpark.) Usually you can talk to the people around you at a ballpark, but these people didn't say a word. They just stared at me, no matter what I said. And it's not like I bothered them a lot or anything. Just the occasional pleasantry, like human beings are supposed to exchange when they're sitting next to each other...but they looked at me like I had two heads for daring to talk to them.

Another weird thing was that they didn't move. Their seats were actually pretty awful. There's a railing that blocks the view from the first four rows in the upper deck. From the first row, where I was, you can see between top and middle bar of the railing (and it's a pretty choice seat for photography), but in the second row, the view is seriously obstructed. My Air Force pals moved to the fifth row for that reason. Not the family behind me. They stayed were they were, even though it was kind of strange. A huge, empty section...and they stayed right by me, even though their seats were lousy and they obviously didn't find my company welcome.

When I got there, the Bats were working out in right field, below my seat. Here's Adam Rosales and Paul Janish goofing around:

After warmups were over, Jay Bruce signed autographs for fans before heading into the dugout. Yes, he's wearing his glove as a hat.

Going for the Bats was Matt Maloney:

Starting for the SWBYankees was Alan Horne:

Horne is one of the Yankees' many talented young right-handers. According to rumor, the Yanks' refusal to trade him is one reason Santana is not in pinstripes. (Given how the season's turning out, I have a feeling they regret not making that trade.)

The Bats had taken the first three games of this series, by large margins in two of the games. It looked like they were on their way again, when they put four runs on the board in the first inning.

Chris Dickerson gets on via a throwing error by Horne.

Yes, that's Andy Phillips coaching first base. I had checked the lineup (written on a whiteboard near the entrance) when I got to the park. I was disappointed that Andy wasn't playing. Then I looked down, and realized he was coaching first base. Since he had DHed the day before, I started wondering if he was injured. (As it turns out, he was. He played the next day...then was out for about two weeks with a sore hamstring. He never went on the DL, but he didn't play.)

Bruce in the on-deck circle.

He singled:

Jay Bruce chats with first base coach Andy Phillips.

Near as I can tell, the duties of the first base coach are congratulating any player who makes it to first base, and holding their batting gloves for them if they want to take them off.

Bruce would eventually score on a double by Jerry Gil.

Janish grounded out to end the inning.

It was in the bottom of the second inning when Nick Green nearly killed me. The Yankees picked Green up off Tampa's trash heap a couple of years ago. At the time, he was the proud owner of a .077 batting average. Now, I actually like Nick. He's a nice guy, and like Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips, he homered in his first at-bat as a Yankee. (His first plate appearance was a walk, but that doesn't count as an at-bat, right?)

However, I admit to making fun of his hitting. It's hard to resist when a guy has a .077 batting average, y'know? ("Oh-double 7: license to kill your offense.")

So perhaps it was sweet revenge when he fouled a ball almost right at me. Over the past three days, a lot of foul balls had found their way to my section, but they were all closer to home plate, and pretty weak by the time they got to the upper deck. Not this one. It whizzed right by me, and it was a rocket. It hit with a loud bang that shook the stands, and the woman behind me shrieked like she'd been murdered. No, she wasn't hit, she was just deathly afraid of flying baseballs. The funny thing was that she had a baby in her lap, and made no attempt to shield the baby from the ball. She just tried to save herself, nearly dropping the kid in the process.

Nick would have a very good night at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double.

It had been three up, three down for Alan Horne in the 2nd inning...but he would not return. He was injured, but I didn't realize it at the time, since he finished the inning and seemed fine. I heard the next day he was being placed on the DL with an elbow injury. Taking his place was Dan Giese.

Giese was eventually called up to "shadow" Joba Chamberlain as Chamberlain switches from the pen to starting. Giese pitched well enough in his first outing (and ended up going longer than Joba, who only lasted two innings). Still, he was sent back down the next day - then was called up a couple of days later, when Chris Britton was put on the DL. (Phantom injury? I don't know, but I expected they would find a way to call up Giese before Joba's next start.)

Bruce singled off Giese:

He got to second when Jolbert Cabrera was hit by a pitch. Jerry Gil singled:

And Bruce tried to score, but was thrown out by left fielder Justin Christian.

Yup, that's Chad Moeller with the tag. Moeller would be called up when Jorge Posada injured his shoulder. The Yankees DFA'd Moeller when Posada came back...only to have Posada go on the DL before Moeller even cleared waivers. It was pretty funny to see how freaked out the $200 million Yankees were at the idea of losing Chad Moeller.

Moeller did clear waivers; he said it was the first time he ever wanted to clear waivers. He's played very well for the Yankees. Better glove than Molina, a good rapport with pitchers, especially the young ones, and he's even hit decently. He's no Posada, but the Yankees are happy with him. They've decided to carry three catchers, at least for awhile, so Moeller's still with the big club, even though Posada is back.

In this game, Moeller ended up 0 for 1 with two walks.

The bottom of the third included a wild pitch by Maloney and a fielding error by Andy Green, but the Bats escaped unscathed.

Bruce singled again in the 5th.

Bruce had been told to work on his baserunning, and he was.

He was a threat to steal every time he got on, and Scranton knew it. They tried to hold him close, but he eventually succeeded in stealing 2B anyway.

Alas, he was stranded. Dickerson brought him his hat and glove.

Maloney started to falter in the bottom of the fifth. He walked Chad Moeller on five pitches.

Then things really started to get out of hand. Tyler Pelland came in, but was unable to stop the bleeding.

Maloney and Pelland together gave up two singles, three stolen bases, a hit by pitch, a balk, and a double. They gave up four runs - and the lead.

It was Dave Duncan's son, David Shelley Duncan, with the double.

Shelley Duncan had just been sent down by the Yankees. He rakes in AAA, but has struggled in the big leagues this year. And his glove has been less than impressive, so he's been riding the Scranton shuttle.

The Bats threatened in the 7th, but came away empty-handed. Edwar Ramirez, of the bugs bunny changeup, took the mound.

Bruce singled and got to 2B on a wild pitch. He got to third on a Jolbert Cabrera single.

Cabrera stole 2B and Drew T. Anderson got a clutch HBP, but in the end, Bruce and Cabrera were stranded.

Pelland had made short work of Scranton in the sixth, but the 7th would be another big inning for the Baby Bombers. Gary Majewski took over.

And it was very much the bad Majewski we saw earlier this year. He pitched 2/3 of an inning, and gave up a walk, a single, two doubles, and a home run. In the end, another four runs crossed the plate, and Majewski had a big fat 18.90 ERA.

Around then, I decided to go downstairs. After the fifth inning, they stop checking tickets and let people sit wherever they want. I gathered up my gear and told the people behind me they could move downstairs if they wanted. There's a better view, and it's much warmer. (It was getting pretty cold by then.) Once again, they just looked at me like I had three heads.

There were plenty of empty seats downstairs. You could even sit in the first row if you wanted. I sat in the fourth or fifth row. I think you can get better photos if you're a little above the field.

I was above the visitors' dugout, by first base. Great location for stalking the first base coach.

There was also a nice view of players going into the dugout.

Paul Janish scored in the 8th.

He singled, then came home on a groundout and a forceout, but it was too little, too late. Especially after Ricky Stone gave up a double to Jason Lane and a homer to Shelley Duncan in the bottom of the frame.

Drew T. Anderson tripled in the top of the ninth, but was stranded.

Final score: ScrantonWB 11, Louisville 5. Can't win 'em all.

Freel to the DL

BubbaFan — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:13:54 -0000

Ryan Freel has a strained right hamstring and will be placed on the 15-day DL. According to John Fay, this probably means Corey Patterson will be called up. (There's no need to for him to spend two weeks in the minors if a player on the 25-man roster is being put on the DL.)

Ryan Freel is headed for the DL with a strained right hamstring.
"He heard something pop," Dusty Baker said.

Freel being out probably mean Corey Patterson will be back. With Ken Griffey Jr. hurting, the Reds need an outfielder. Patterson is on the roster. I know that won't be a popular choice. But there aren't any alternatives. Norris Hopper still can't throw. Chris Dickerson is on the roster, but he's hitting .253 with 44 strikeouts in 154 at-bats.

Jeff Keppinger

BubbaFan — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:02:33 -0000

As you've probably heard, fan favorite Jeff Keppinger is headed to the DL after fracturing his knee by fouling a ball off it. According to Wikipedia, he's done this before.

In 2005, Keppinger again excelled in Norfolk while hitting .337. He was poised to return to the majors in June when Kazuo Matsui was injured, but bad luck struck when Keppinger fractured his kneecap around the same time as Matsui. The injury not only prevented his return to the majors but ended his entire 2005 season.

According to Baseball Cube, Kepp played 62 games in 2005. That means he missed more than half the season when he fractured his kneecap last time.

C. Trent has post worth reading, though it was written before the Janish callup became official:

Keppinger had an x-ray taken Tuesday night and Reds manager Dusty Baker said the doctors told him it wasn't as bad of a break as it could have been. Keppinger will have an MRI taken on Wednesday. Still, he is expected to be put on the disabled list and miss a substantial amount of time.

I don't think this is the same kind of knee injury Sea Bass has. It sounds more serious. Maybe the fact that Kepp continued to play for a couple of innings after the injury means it's not that bad. But it sounds to me like they are preparing to go without Kepp for a long time.

Trent also has some quotes from Dusty on Janish:

Janish, 25, is one of the best fielding players in the Reds minor league system and with a 1-for-2 performance in the Bats' victory Tuesday night raised his batting average to .293. He also picked up two RBIs and now has 20 on the season.
Baker said he liked what he saw of Janish in spring training.

"He's a good one, so if he's the one, we’ll have to find a way to match him up with the guys he best suits and Jerry the other ones. It's nice to have guys who can play multiple positions," Baker said. "(Janish) is a slick fielder; he's a big-time slick fielder. He's got some sock in his bat, especially on the high fastball. He's got good speed and it’s a good example of what we've got in the organization."

John Fay lays out the possibilities for a replacement. He says A-Gon is nowhere near ready, and probably won't be for quite awhile. And he thinks Valaika is a possibility. But the most realistic scenario is Hairston and Janish battle it out until one wins the job.

Fay points out that many doubted Keppinger would ever be a big league player. I'm not sure why. He's hit well throughout his minor league career. Not much power, but infielders don't have to hit like Barry Bonds.

Janish has not hit that well in his minor league career, though he's been raking this year, after a slow start. He will provide a very solid glove at SS. I hope Dusty gives him a chance.

I was not expecting Jay Bruce or Andy Phillips to be called up. The Reds need a shortstop. Hairston can play SS, but he needs a backup, and there isn't one. Bruce can't play SS (and since he's a lefty, I doubt they'll convert him ;-). Andy Phillips played SS for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but was soon moved down the defensive spectrum by the Yankees.

I thought they might call up a disposable player, like the Gay Porn Star last year. The fact that they didn't suggests they are expecting this to be a long-term situation.

And if neither Janish nor Hairston step up? If the Reds still think they have a chance, they might trade for a SS. If not, they may as well let Janish try to figure it out.

Sports world begins to sputter under weight of fuel prices

BubbaFan — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:12:59 -0000

Oil hit another record high today, as did gasoline. Lately, it seems like it's news when crude oil doesn't set a new record high. It's about $125/barrel now. Only three or four years ago, OPEC was claiming their "target range" was about $25/barrel. They're a little off. Like, about $100 off.

Man, it looks like it's going exponential there. Makes you wonder if peak oil is here.

Whether we're at peak oil or not, it seems clear that we are now in an era of permanently higher oil prices. Which also increases the cost of food and other goods, since it takes energy to produce and transport them. Some experts are predicting gas will be $7 a gallon by the end of this year.

But if you think your fuel bill is bad...what about sports teams, that have to travel all over the state, even all over the country? USA Today has a special report on gas prices today, including an article on how it's affecting sports, from high school to the Hall of Fame.

Bill Papierniak, general manager of the Daytona Cubs of the Class A Florida State League, says the average round trip for his team is 200 miles. Teams may have to attract more fans to offset fuel costs, he says.
The Buffalo Bisons take $2 off the price of tickets for fans who take the Metro Rail train to the ballpark. The number of fans taking the offer is up 10% this season.

"It's the cost of gas," Bisons general manager Mike Buczkowski says. "It's also the rising costs of everything making people look for discounts."

The Bisons, who also play in the International League, take buses to Rochester, N.Y., and Syracuse, N.Y. They fly to Durham, N.C., and Richmond. Buczkowski says the cost of travel is up 15% from last season, which was up 15% from 2006.

"It's a concern," Buczkowski says. "We try not to pass that on to the customer because in the minors we are all about value."

Ticket prices already are set for the season, Richmond assistant GM Bill Blackwell says, "but of course in the supermarket green beans can go up every day."

Says Baldwin: "Everything we do is oil-based. The giveaways at the ballpark are plastic and that's oil-based. Hats aren't, but I have to put them on a boat, airplane or truck. So there's some derivative of an oil byproduct in everything."

(Actually, hats probably are oil-based. The ones they give away are likely at least partly synthetics, which are petroleum products.)

Some people actually think we'll have to relocalize sports. I doubt it will come to that, at least any time soon, but teams could have a lot of trouble offsetting higher fuel costs by attracting more fans, when the fans are also struggling with higher prices. People are already buying smaller cars and trying to unload their SUVs. They're moving closer to work. And when all else fails, they're paying the higher fuel and food costs by running up their credit card debt. Food banks are running out of food, because more people are asking for help while fewer people are donating food.

You're doing fine, you say? Great! Then you can help others less fortunate. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 10th, is Stamp Out Hunger Day. Postal workers will be collecting food for food banks all across the U.S.A. Gather up a few non-perishable food items (no glass containers, please), put them in a bag, and leave it out for your letter carrier. You can hang the bag from the mailbox or put it on the ground beside it. They'll pick it up and deliver it to a local food bank.