FanPost

Why Time Begins On Opening DLD (including Zito crash)


Baseball. We haz it.

As you may have already heard, Barry Zito was involved in a traffic accident last night near his home in the Hollywood Hills. His car was badly damaged and he went to a hospital, but was released and went home that night. The other driver, who seems to have been at fault according to the LA County sheriff's office, was not injured. Here's hoping that Barry suffers no lasting ill effects from the accident (and if you're reading this, Barry, I can recommend an excellent chiropractor specializing in auto crashes who's a huge Giants fan).

Speaking of...Them. From There. ....we have only to endure tonight's festivities, and then the number of breathless SFGate stories about whether the Unfortunate Events of Last October will repeat should be greatly reduced.

A new study by the highly scientific scientists at Facebook of MLB fans by team shows that A's fans have the most friends on Facebook of any team's. At the bottom of the social-networking scale: Slegna and Dodger fans.

Athletics' fans were also among the most scattered across the country and around the world, but Chang said that finding was blunted by the fact that a very high share of fans who "Liked" the A's on Facebook also liked another team. In short, he said, the A's may be the second- or third-choice team of many other baseball fans across the country. (Gratutious San Jose plug inserted by Mercury News staff omitted), the team's fans stand out as being among the youngest, most likely to be single, and most male-centric in the major leagues.

This Wall Street Journal blog report on the Bonds trial has a funny picture of beloved triple-play-maker and A's lunchbox-gracer Randy Velarde. On the stand today: Bonds' former personal shopper. (No, really.) Since Twitter is currently in Fail Whale mode, I can't quote it exactly, but the best witticism of the trial so far was Gwen Knapp's tweet that she and other reporters had been in the elevator with the prosecutor a few days ago and had suggested that he take the opportunity to ask Jeremy Giambi under oath why he didn't slide.

Bill James ponders how talent is developed in sports and elsewhere.

The Associated Press had a very good piece about the post-quake/tsunami Japanese high school baseball tournament a few days ago -- if you missed it, check it out here.

Also from earlier in the week but worth a read, an LA Times column about a loyal Dodgers fan who really, really does not like Frank McCourt.

And there's this new thingy called Baseball Nation. A blog? About baseball? As our friend Bed says, "Pffffft."

Dump 'em if you've got 'em.