Hosts: Sonny and Rich

In this edition of the Sportable Spot, Rich and I discussed the freak that is Albert Pujols, as well as some possible selections for the MLB All Star Game. We also talked about the Confederations Cup and the United States’ run to the final match against Brazil.

Hosts: Sonny, Rich and Ryan

In this episode of the Soapbox, we took a look at ESPN’s horrific bias when it comes to their baseball telecasts. In just two and a half months, the Chicago Cubs have been featured four times. The Red Sox, Yankees and Mets aren’t too far behind. Compared to MLB Network’s weekly Thursday and Saturday night broadcasts, the bias of the Worldwide Leader could not be more obvious.

Hosts: Sonny, Rich and Ryan

In this inaugural episode, Ryan and I take a look back at the NBA Finals and the legacy that Kobe has created.  We also take time to head into the NFL to clown on the Broncos and make fun of Rex Grossman.  Finally, a brief look at the upcoming Major League Baseball All Star Game and the surprises that have gone unnoticed so far in the 2009 baseball season.

Sonny’s Style Watch is back after a long hiatus, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. New Era and Major League Baseball have united yet again to produce a quality looking lid for us. Teams across the nation will wear these hats this weekend, as well as July 4th and September 11th.

Last year New Era created these same hats, but in blue. Every single team in the league will wear red hats this season, but it would be cool if they had a choice between red or blue.  If I had to choose between red and blue I would have to say that the red hats look better.

Obviously, the best thing about these hats is the waving flag within the logo. If the flag was motionless the hat might have looked dull. The Reds hat (above) is my favorite, but the Orioles and Rangers caps are among the best. If you were wondering about the Toronto Blue Jays, they didn’t get left out.

All in all, I think these fresh and innovative jersey ideas are cool for baseball. It’s nice to see the league take time out of their day to recognize this beautiful nation. I’ll be ordering my Brewers Stars and Stripes hat soon and you should pick up your favorite teams’ lid as well.

Baseball is back, not a moment too soon. Through four days, here’s a few tidbits that have made an impression on me during the first week of the season.

It’s still only a game. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I was shocked to hear the news of Nick Adenhart’s death. It’s always a stark reminder of life’s fragility when an athlete passes. But for it to be a 22-year-old makes it even more tragic. Our prayers go out to Nick Adenhart’s family, friends, loved ones and fans. For God’s sake, please drive safe.

Just as advertised. It’s not September yet, so we can expect the Mets to play like a competent team. But you have to like what you’ve seen from the duo of JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez. I hate the cliche, but having to face those two really does shorten the game to seven innings. I still have some concerns about their rotation, but the Mets’ bullpen is in great hands.

Royals and Marlins! I hopped on the Royals’ bandwagon early in the offseason, but two of baseball’s smallest markets are looking like contenders. The Marlins swept the Natty Ices, while the Royals took two of three from the White Sox. Both teams have great pitching, so they won’t be going away anytime soon.

I love watching baseball. I don’t give a damn if it’s Red Sox-Yankees or White Sox-Royals. If there’s a game on, I’m probably tuned in, even if it’s just background noise while I do other stuff. This year, if you’re looking to get one of these packages, I’d go with MLB TV. Here’s why.

More HD Options: Sure, the first couple days have been a bit spotty for MLB TV’s new Flash interface. But when the kinks get worked out, you’ll be able to stream just about every single game in HD, perfectly free of lag. Compare that to Extra Innings, which offers a whopping one channel on my cable provider for HD telecasts. At best, I’m getting three games a day in HD, as opposed to the 10+ on MLB TV.

More Choices: I’m pretty picky when it comes to broadcast teams. I’d rather listen to nails against a chalkboard for three hours than Hawk Harrelson. With MLB TV, you’re able to choose which team’s feed you want to watch. 

The PIP Feature: I’m surprised DirecTV hasn’t jumped into something like this with their MLB channels. On NFL Sunday Ticket, there’s one central channel showing stats from all of the games, jumping around to different ones. Not the case for Extra Innings with my cable provider (COX). MLB TV lets you stream up to four games at once…not the six from last year’s Mosaic, but not bad either.

Final Verdict: The price tag on MLB TV Premium runs you $109, as opposed to the “Early Bird Special” of Extra Innings, which is still $169. With those savings, I can buy a DVI-HDMI adaptor and still get the same feel of watching the game on a TV, as opposed to a computer monitor.

MLB Extra Innings is offering a free trial during opening week, so you may want to give that a shot and see if it floats your boat. But in my opinion, if you have HD capabilities, you’ll get the best bang for your buck with MLB TV.