April 16, 2005 [LINK]
Jackie Robinson (yester) Day
I had forgotten the reason they had moved the home opener in D.C. from April 15th to the 14th; it was to make it possible for Commissioner Selig to be present for the Jackie Robinson Day ceremonies in Los Angeles. (See MLB.com) Actually, Robinson had retired just before the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn. In his honor, I've made several corrections and improvements to the Negro Leagues page, as well as the pages of the nine stadiums that were once the home fields of Negro League teams. Also see the Negro League Baseball Players Association Web site.
Grudges?
After taking a close look at the video of the apparent "bean ball" thrown at Vinny Castilla on Thursday night (in ultra-slow motion on my iMac), I've concluded that it was not intentional. The ball curved sharply inside, and pitcher Lance Cormier winced after it hit Vinny. Hence, no need for the Nats to uphold "honor" by retaliating. 
Up in Boston, meanwhile, Yankee right fielder Gary Sheffield seemed to me to be within his rights to let an obnoxious interfering fan know his feelings. His tit-for-tat shove was a "proportional response," and he did not go into the seating area or throw any furniture. I hope he won't get any suspensions. Alex Rodriguez did his part to build friendly relations between Boston and the Bronx when he saved a young Bostonian lad, Patrick McCarthy, from an oncoming vehicle.
D.C. blogger Rudy Riet (Random Duck) relates his experience at RFK's home opener with text as well as photos.
Bill Blake saw the White Sox Opening Game, and sent some new photos, two of which are posted on the U.S. Cellular Field page. It has a couple new improvements this year, including a new practice area for kids behind the left field seats.