After one week of baseball, we are one week closer to my dream World Series between the White Sox and the Brewers.
As of Tuesday morning, both teams were atop their respective divisions. I got the chance to visit both Miller Park and Comiskey - I mean U.S. Cellular Field - this past weekend, and here are some thoughts on the first week of the season.
Inside baseball
I caught the Brewers game at Miller Park Saturday. What a nice day. It was 67 degrees in Milwaukee, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. You couldn't ask for better weather for the second home game of the season.
It's just too bad the fans couldn't enjoy it.
For whatever reason, the roof was closed. Unbelievable. Most of you know I am a White Sox fan and have been going to 20-30 outdoor baseball games every year my entire life. Baseball is meant to be played outside, and I don't think I would get many objections, especially from you Twins fans.
I'm not against retractable roofs, however. Rain delays don't help anyone. They bore the fans, keep the pitchers out of the game and always cause field problems and even injuries. If it's raining, then go ahead and close the roof. And if it actually is cold out, then you are welcome to close it, too. No one wants to be cold.
Saturday was beautiful, though. Why was the roof closed? No one can give me a good reason other than they always close the roof in April.
Well, that's stupid.
I think baseball needs a rule that if the high temperature is above 50 degrees and there is less than a 20 percent chance of rain, the roof has to be open. That was always my father's rule with his 1965 Mustang convertible. There's no reason it can't apply to baseball.
Plain and simple, baseball should be played outside.
Outside baseball
And that brings me to Monday's White Sox home opener at Comiskey Park. It was 50 degrees and partly cloudy. Was I cold? No, I brought a jacket. I think most people in this state own a jacket. Use it.
But enough about the weather and more about Joe Crede. Opening week is great, but it's even better when it includes a game-winning grand slam in the home opener.
And they wanted to trade Crede in spring training because Josh Fields had a great rookie season last year when Joe was hurt. About a year ago I thought a Crede trade was inevitable, and I wrote a column proposing a trade to the Brewers. Of course, all you Brewer fans wrote me hate mail because Ryan Braun was set to come up from Triple-A.
Touche. But how's he doing over there at third base? Oh yeah, he's in left field.
In the meantime, Bill Hall is looking good at third, so the Brewers are out. But why wouldn't the White Sox try the Braun experiment and move Fields to left field? He actually played most of last September in left field, but the White Sox abandoned the idea, even though he wasn't that bad. Does Kenny Williams forget that Carlos Lee and Scott Podsednik have been the left fielders for the past seven years? Those two don't combine to be anything close to a Gold Glove outfielder. What am I missing?
Also, I will continue the now three-year argument that Crede is the most underrated player in baseball. He is arguably the best defensive third baseman in the game and has been the most clutch White Sox player in the last two decades.
Just this season, he has two game-winning home runs and saved a game with his glove by diving for a ground ball for the last out Saturday against Detroit.
Re-sign Joe Clutch"" Crede. Move Fields to left or trade him. Play and beat the Brewers in the World Series.
If you are a Twins fan who actually does like watching baseball indoors, e-mail Adam at hoge@wisc.edu.
