Miscellaneous Baseball News

Rany Jazayerli looks at how the Astros became so bad, even though they were in the World Series in 2005:

Yet the team still has the same inherent advantages it has always had. With New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles served by two teams, the Astros have the fourth-largest U.S. city to themselves. (The Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies have larger metropolitan populations to draw on.) The Astros have a modern ballpark with all the amenities (read: revenue-generating luxury boxes) in place. Houston's economy has been less affected by the recession than most places in America.
But this time, the rebuilding process will take longer. Houston doesn't have anyone like Glenn Davis to trade, and the only GM foolish enough to trade premium talent for the next Larry Andersen is the one employed by the Astros. Unless they accept a realignment that lands them in the Pacific Coast League, it's going to be years before they're competitive again. Their old owner could never accept that fact. For the sake of Astros fans, here's hoping their new owner will.

Also, the Pittsburgh Pirates have locked in their 19th straight losing season (Update):

The loss in the seventh game of the 1992 National League Championship Series started the record-setting streak. The NHL's Vancouver Canucks and the NBA's Kansas City/Sacramento Kings each lost for 15 consecutive years, the Canucks from 1976-91 and the Kings from 1983-98. The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished below .500 for 14 consecutive seasons from 1983-96.

The Philadelphia Phillies held the previous Major League Baseball record with 16 losing seasons in a row from 1933-48.

And WTF is Bud Selig thinking, opening the season on Good Friday?

Traditions will collide in Cincinnati on April 6, 2012.
That’s Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds, a longstanding unofficial holiday here when offices empty and Reds-clad baseball fans rejoice in parades, optimism and ballpark hot dogs.
It’s also Good Friday, a Holy Day of Obligation for the 470,000 Catholics in the 19-county Archdiocese of Greater Cincinnati. They mark the solemn day when Christ was crucified by praying on the steps of Holy Cross-Immaculata Church in Mount Adams, going to Mass and fasting.
“That cuts out ballpark food,” said Dan Andriacco, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Florida Marlins, to be renamed the Miami Marlins next year, will be the Reds’ Opening Day opponent.
Major League Baseball sets the schedule, which was released Wednesday. It’s still listed as tentative and is subject to change. Many Cincinnatians hope a compromise can be worked out.
“The biggest thing is it’s a conflict of moods,” Andriacco said. “Opening Day is a very festive occasion. Good Friday is a key date in our salvation. And although it’s called ‘Good’ it’s not a celebratory occasion.

Technically, Good Friday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it is part of the Triduum and Holy Week.  It is also a day of fasting and abstinence.  Not exactly a good time to go out and party for Opening Day.  What the hell is wrong with Major League Baseball?  This season, for the first time in my lifetime, they had opening day on Thursday.  Now they're looking at Friday?  What gives?  Whatever happened to all those baseball traditions which couldn't be changed?