That’s the discussion they’re having over at IIATMS this morning. First up is the case for the 2010 Yankees, presented by Will.  Our friend The Common Man will be handling the case for the 1998 team a bit later today (UPDATE: TCM’s defense of the 1998 Yankees is now live). I’d rather have The Common…

Yeah, the headline was a bit much, but I like saying “fat cats” whenever I can. This is a story about why tickets to ballgames cost so much: There are many reasons for the price explosion, but a critical factor has been the ability of businesses to write off tickets as entertainment expenses — essentially…

Last October John Smoltz and the Cardinals complained mightily about the balls being used in Great American Ballpark. The beef: that the Reds don’t properly rub them down with Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud to remove the gloss as God and Major League Baseball rule 3.01(c) intends. They’re at it again, with Chris Carpenter saying…

I’ve noticed a lot of great camera work in the first two days of the baseball season. That ESPN matrix-vision thing they used to show the double-steal on Sunday night was pretty spiffy. That Mark Buehrle gem was covered from a zillion angles. Also captured really well?  Nate McLouth having the ball pop out of…

Gettin’ a little misty in Chez Shyster. A tweet from the Royals’ Billy Butler a few minutes ago: Didn’t get the win in the end but I’m glad my Grandpa Butler got to watch me one last time on TV. RIP grandpa. I i love ya & will miss ya. Grandpa Butler left the Earth…

Stay classy, New York! Boo to the medical crew — and Ollie, too. With the fans at Citi Field in no mood to forgive and forget, plenty of boos filled the air during yesterday’s pregame introductions. The loudest jeers were reserved for trainers Ray Ramirez and Mike Herbst, in addition to strength and conditioning coordinator…

Braves 16, Cubs 5: Yeah, I saw it. Right before it happened I even berated Chipper Jones for scoring from third because it screwed up Heyward’s inevitable debut at-bat grand slam. A few seconds later: bammo. By the way, everyone seems to want to go with “J-Hey” as a nickname. I suppose there’s no stopping…

In a moment the baseball gods couldn’t have scripted much better, 20-year-old stud prospect Jason Heyward made his big-league debut Monday afternoon and blasted a three-run homer 450 feet off Carlos Zambrano in his first at-bat. The crowd in Atlanta chanted Heyward’s name before he stepped into the batter’s box and the post-homer scene can…

It all started with a John Lannan pitch to Jimmy Rollins around 10 a.m ET, and ended when Denard Span’s fly ball settled into Bobby Abreu’s glove about 15 hours later. Once again, Opening Day didn’t disappoint, as there were stellar defensive plays, dramatic home runs, and dominant pitching performances. It was everything you want out…

The A’s and Mariners were tied at 3 in the top of the ninth tonight when Rob Johnson walked with one out and advanced to second on an infield chopper. That brought up Ichiro Suzuki with the go-ahead run at second. Like most managers would have in that situation, Bob Geren opted for the intentional…

Cliff Lee, who was forced to begin the season on the disabled list due to a strained abdominal muscle, played catch for a second straight day on Monday without incident, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. “It’s pretty good,” he said. “I felt absolutely nothing.” Now that he’s throwing without discomfort, the goal…

Just don’t call it a setback. According to what Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd told Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, Huston Street was simply seeking a second opinion on his nagging right shoulder. “Everything looked great. I was told they didn’t see any issues at all, so we are going to keep doing…

I figured Craig would be all over this one, but in case you missed it, 20-year-old Jason Heyward homered off Carlos Zambrano in his first major league at-bat Monday. The majestic three-run shot put the Braves up 6-3 in the first inning, and Atlanta went on to 16-5 in a rout. Howard, who started in…

Maybe not officially or anything, but the big slide in the Coke bottle at AT&T Park may not be around much longer: The famous Coca-Cola bottle slide at the San Francisco Giants’ waterfront ballpark is becoming known for another reason: lawsuits. The team, which starts its season Monday, is facing a $6 million suit by…

Cameron Maybin’s body was in Citi Field on Monday afternoon, but he may have left his head somewhere in the depths of Roger Dean Stadium. The Marlins’ center fielder, who just turned 23 on Sunday, was 0-for-4 with three swinging strikeouts, narrowly avoiding the dreaded golden sombrero. But that’s not even the worst of it.…

It’s usually about putting your best foot forward when it comes to setting a lineup on Opening Day. Dusty Baker, though, decided to lead with his head up his ass. The Reds played both their fourth and fifth outfielders Monday, with Chris Dickerson leading off and Laynce Nix in the seventh spot. The choice to…

Between Aaron’s last post and this post we’re sort of recapping games which is not what we usually do, but (a) it’s Opening Day and everyone has been good enough not to mess up the vibe with real news; and (b) these sorts of recaps pretty much capture what Opening Day is all about: renewal…

New season, same best player in the world. Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs, and four runs this afternoon as the Cardinals blew out the Reds in Cincinnati. He now has the following career numbers in 142 games versus the Reds: .365 with 42 homers, 48 doubles, 121 RBIs, and 131 runs.…

Watching Pedro lob up last night’s first pitch while wearing a baggy jersey and a pair of old man slacks gave off the impression of a man retired. Not so, says Pedro: Pedro Martinez did not exactly light up the radar guns with his ceremonial first pitch, or lob, last night at the Red Sox-Yankees…