go cheese

CHC --- (Clement v Peavy)
SDP 2.0 (Peavy @ CHC Clement)
SFG 3.0 (Schmidt @ PIT Vogelsong)
PHI 3.5 (Lidle v COL Estes)

Outside of Philly sorta making a move, this really isn’t going anywhere.

Two guys who were traded for each other facing off would be interesting if one wasn’t Jason Schmidt and the other was Ryan Vogelsong. Pirates could win by 9 today and it’d still look like a horrible trade.

I still can’t believe someone traded for Corey Lidle.

Let’s talk about something else.

The White Sox game was good for a White Sox game. I was really rooting for the incredibly unlikely Darrel May no-hitter. He was just cruising along for most of it, though it got busy late. I counted on the White Sox to fall just short and they did not disappoint.

Hilariously, they did not play the attendance game or even announce the number to the crowd because it was too low (announced as ~18,000, but it seemed at least 3 to 4K less in the seats.)

The great thing is that there were no crowds (except leaving) and hardly any lines. The bad thing was they were only selling programs on the ground floor, and it’s a loooong way away from the upper deck.

The upper deck renovations are really nice. The overhang looks fine, the angle seems better, and the concourse feels less like a huge parking garage and more like a place you’re not afraid to stand around alone.

They’re really horrible about updating the out of town scoreboard; they’d leave scores unchanged for a half hour, then skip two innings. Very annoying.

At least 40% of the crowd sang “root root for the CUBS”.

The White Sox have hilariously overproduced introduction video packages. I don’t know if the one were they showed all the former stars of the White Sox and included such legendary names as Melido Perez was the best, or if the bit they did with each player sitting in a rotating chair and turning towards the camera while a single spotlight beamed over their shoulder. They were all special in their own way.

If you go, check out the screen during the public safety announcements and watch the players eyes move left to right while they try to read the teleprompter. It’s great fun.

I did like that someone read the weather report and decided they ought to be selling some hot chocolate. It was good and helpful.

Cell’s not as good as the United Center or Wrigley, but I wouldn’t expect it to be. The overall experience, including driving, is much better than Miller Park. Yay for Multiple Exits and record quick drives. (This might have been slightly aided by the turnout.)