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Thursday, January 03, 2013

MLB season to kick off with Astros vs. Rangers

We take a break from the Hall of Fame debates to bring you scheduling news for the 2013 season:

The Houston Astros’ debut in the American League against the Texas Rangers will officially open the 2013 season on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” on March 31.

And so will spawn the trivia question: “Who was the Astros first opening day DH?”

Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: January 03, 2013 at 06:36 PM | 28 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: astros, rangers

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1. Gotham Dave Posted: January 03, 2013 at 09:45 PM (#4338488)

And judging from the Astros' roster, the answer to that question will be quite an obscure player.

2. asinwreck Posted: January 03, 2013 at 09:50 PM (#4338492)

Where will Lance Berkman bat?

3. JJ1986 Posted: January 03, 2013 at 09:52 PM (#4338494)

Probably Brett Wallace. If Matt Harrison starts, it could be Nate Freiman.

4. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: January 03, 2013 at 10:05 PM (#4338511)

Roy "RBI in 10 of 12 seasons" Oswalt is still available.

5. Tom Nawrocki Posted: January 03, 2013 at 10:20 PM (#4338522)

Enos Cabell is still available.

6. AJM Posted: January 03, 2013 at 10:21 PM (#4338524)

“Who was the Astros first opening day DH?”

Trick question. The Astros don't have anyone who could be categorized as a hitter.

7. Phil Coorey. Posted: January 03, 2013 at 11:58 PM (#4338601)

What a freaking absolutely absurd choice for season opener. This has FM Sideways written all over it.

8. Tripon Posted: January 03, 2013 at 11:59 PM (#4338604)

Really? You're telling me none of the playoff teams wanted to start the first game of the season? Or a big league team like the Yankees or Dodgers?

9. Gamingboy Posted: January 04, 2013 at 12:00 AM (#4338605)

“Who was the Astros first opening day DH?”

I dunno, but Matt Harrison or Yu Darvish will strike them out.

10. TerpNats Posted: January 04, 2013 at 01:27 AM (#4338669)

It's official: We're over Yanks vs. Bosox. (Thank God.)

11. Cowboy Popup Posted: January 04, 2013 at 01:33 AM (#4338671)

It's official: We're over Yanks vs. Bosox. (Thank God.)

Why would a national audience want to watch a third and fourth place team play each other?

12. ajnrules Posted: January 04, 2013 at 01:36 AM (#4338674)

You're telling me none of the playoff teams wanted to start the first game of the season?

Technically, the Rangers are a playoff team...

13. JE (Jason Epstein)

Posted: January 04, 2013 at 01:50 AM (#4338683)

It sucks that the Reds no longer get to kick off the first day game of the season but this year they get a huge consolation prize: The inaugural Opening Day interleague game will be played in Cincy on that Monday at 4pm.

14. Tricky Dick Posted: January 04, 2013 at 01:58 AM (#4338685)

Carlos Pena is likely to be the Astros' opening day DH.

15. puck Posted: January 04, 2013 at 02:19 AM (#4338691)

GHW Bush vs Dubya.

16. Walt Davis Posted: January 04, 2013 at 04:20 AM (#4338727)

The Round Rock Express were busy?

17. just plain joe Posted: January 04, 2013 at 09:38 AM (#4338767)

Enos Cabell is still available.

I hear that Alfonso Soriano is available.

18. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 04, 2013 at 10:20 AM (#4338788)

Possible World Series preview!

19. Delorians Posted: January 04, 2013 at 10:25 AM (#4338789)

18 could not be more wrong, both figuratively and literally.

20. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: January 04, 2013 at 10:40 AM (#4338800)

It's official: We're over Yanks vs. Bosox. (Thank God.)

I'll believe that when the Sox/Yanks play on a Sunday afternoon, not the Sunday night game.

21. charityslave is thinking about baseball Posted: January 04, 2013 at 10:43 AM (#4338802)

Dodgers-Giants opener would be about a billion times (roughly) more interesting. But on the bright side, this is about a billion times (roughly) better way to open the season than last year.

22. flournoy Posted: January 04, 2013 at 02:33 PM (#4339058)

The match-up is fine. And it's not in freaking Japan or some other ridiculous place, so this is great.

23. Nasty Nate Posted: January 04, 2013 at 02:40 PM (#4339068)

It's official: We're over Yanks vs. Bosox. (Thank God.)

Why would a national audience want to watch a third and fourth place team play each other?

Ahem, the Sox are a 5th place team.

24. Astroenteritis Posted: January 04, 2013 at 03:43 PM (#4339140)

I think I'd prefer Dodgers-Giants, too. But instead we'll get lukewarm hype about the nonexistent rivalry between the Astros and Rangers. It feels like a setup for a sort of a MLB/SNL evening, with all the obligatory Astros jokes sprinkled throughout the broadcast.

I do miss the Reds being the opener, even though the few times I skipped school to watch the Astros open in Cincinnati the result was usually about 12-4 in favor of the Machine, which was a fairly accurate indicator of the gulf between the teams at the time.

25. Phil Coorey. Posted: January 04, 2013 at 08:20 PM (#4339365)

The match-up is fine. And it's not in freaking Japan or some other ridiculous place, so this is great.

It could be Sydney next year...(!)

26. base ball chick Posted: January 04, 2013 at 08:23 PM (#4339366)

bud eff selig and his kissass little buddy nolan ryan have been trying to justify shoving the astros in the DH league so as the rangers can win 6 more games/year by pretending there is this houston/dallas rivalry.

there ain't no rivalry. not in ANY sport. there never has been and there won't be

only question is by how many runs will the rangers win.

and we'll get to hear mrcarver and uck or wheover go on and on and on and on about the astros no names and how the astros are "rebuilding" for the next 5 - 10 years without bothering to mention that the owner is pocketing 40+ mill a year on all the money he didn't spend.

it is time to re-install the ancient tradition of baseball opening at cincy

27. beer on a stick Posted: January 05, 2013 at 10:27 PM (#4339850)

Where will Lance Berkman bat?

Probably Arlington.

28. beer on a stick Posted: January 05, 2013 at 10:30 PM (#4339853)

Why would a national audience want to watch a third and fourth place team play each other?

Because we would rather watch a second place team play a sixth place team?

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Thursday, January 03, 2013

MLB season to kick off with Astros vs. Rangers

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