Random Thought: Have more MLB-Service Academy games

Sorry that the remaining predictions aren’t up yet- it will be tomorrow during my preview spectacular. Instead, a random thought:

As I mentioned earlier today, the Yankees were playing Army at West Point.I watched some of the game, and it was, far as I could tell, pure class, with the respect between the two teams evident throughout.

So, what I’m wondering is: why can’t this be something done regularly? There are three service academies in Division I, would it not be a good idea to have MLB games at those academies every spring so long as the schedule of the academy team and MLB team allowed? Couldn’t the Orioles play Navy at Annapolis, or the Rockies play Air Force in chilly Colorado Springs? Or maybe have the Nationals rotate with the Orioles at Annapolis? Or maybe have the Mets go to West Point?

Actually, scratch that last one. The men and women of our armed services deserve better than the Mets these days.

Just a random thought.

Picture of the day: West Point, 1914

Today, the New York Yankees are playing a game in West Point against the Military Academy team. Almost 100 years ago, Army’s baseball team looked like this (from the Library of Congress Flickr Feed). Check it out and then go below the photo for some info on some of the players in this picture.

In this photo, by the way, are some notables:

The the far left (our left) of the second row, crouching, is Frank Milburn, who would later be a general during WWII and Korea.

Two over from Milburn, third from the left, is Omar Bradley, probably the most notable on the team. Bradley was one of the top Allied generals of WWII in Europe, and second only to Eisenhower in the American chain of command there. Later, as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bradley was elevated to a 5-star General, the last in American history.

In the very front, looking down, could be Robert Neyland, who would serve in France during WWI and an aide for West Point superintendant Douglas MacArthur but would later become a 4-time National Champion football coach at Tennessee.

Although I’m not sure where he is, Paul A. Hodgson- Dwight Eisenhower’s college roommate and a lifelong friend of his- was also on the team. Eisenhower wasn’t, and considered his failure at making the team one of his biggest disappointments in life.

The Alamodome is going to be hosting baseball this weekend

As I noted way back in November, the Rangers and Padres are going to be playing a 2-game exhibition series in the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Well, that series is coming up this weekend. Tonight (Friday night) and tomorrow (Saturday), to be more exact. There are pictures and a story of how the venue (which was made with basically everything but baseball in mind) has been transformed for the games here, if you are interested. In addition, both games will be shown nationally on tape-delay on MLB Network, and hopefully there will be video on MLB.com of any weird plays that come about from such a strange set-up.

2013 MLB Preview part 4: 162 Things Guaranteed to Happen in the 2013 MLB Season (Part 3)

Part one can be found here. Part two can be found here. Go below the jump for even more…

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Picture of the day: Johan in happier days

Johan Santana will almost certainly be placed on the DL and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2013 season after a re-tear in the anterior capsule of his left shoulder was detected in an MRI. Surgery is a true possibility, and the last time he had such surgery (in 2010), he was not able to return to MLB pitching until 2012. Now 34, it is quite possible he has thrown his final pitch in the big leagues.

So now, let us remember back during Johan Santana’s glory days with the Minnesota Twins by looking at this picture:

Photo by Keith Allison, used under a Creative Commons license.

2013 MLB Preview part 3: 162 Things Guaranteed to Happen in the 2013 MLB Season (Part 2)

Did you read the first part of the 162 things yesterday? If not, you should. Go below the jump for today’s things:

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Picture of the day: Photographers

Today’s random find from the Library of Congress Flickr feed: Lots of photographers at the 1912 World Series. Look at those old cameras!

Random Video of the Undetermined Amount of Time: Manny Ramirez in Taiwan

Here is video proof that Manny Ramirez is now playing in Taiwan:

Back up and running: Baseball Continuum Facebook

Do you use Facebook? Well, good news, after a few months of sporadic-at-best updates, I have begun to once again post some updates from the Continuum on the Facebook site. So feel free to “Like” the Continuum here. In general you can expect one update or link a day from it, although there may be more in a day if something big comes up.

2013 MLB Preview part 2: 162 Things Guaranteed to Happen in the 2013 MLB Season (Part 1)

What’s going to happen in this, the 2013 Major League Baseball Season? Well, I have 162 ideas- ranging from the serious to the sarcastic. At the end of the year, I’ll look at what my record was. Hopefully I will do better than the Astros.

This is a big and long post, so it can be found UNDER THE JUMP.

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