Where I've been

In short, working, traveling, playing golf, and attending birthday parties for one year olds. Oh, and drinking.

So that's part of the reason I haven't been writing. I was in Atlanta last week, and travel itself kept me from watching Tuesday's game. The hotel I was at has crappy internet service, so it's virtually impossible to watch a game over the computer, so that took out Wednesday. Friday was travel back from Atlanta, and meeting up with drunk friends after the Cubs game (which they attended and I didn't). Saturday was golf, birthday party, and drinking with a different set of friends. Sunday's game was pathetic and made me not want to write.

Actually, I did see a game Wednesday night. I headed down State Highway 400 from Alpharetta to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Padres. Funny that almost every Padres game I've seen in the last 20 years has been against Braves, going back to 1988 when I was the Braves bat boy for one game in San Diego. I saw a couple more at the Murph in the interim, and this was my first game at the Ted. Nice park. Parked for free since I got there in the second inning. Paid $20 to a scalper for a ticket and sat in the general vicinity of that seat. It was not by any means a full building, so you could more or less sit wherever you wanted down the lines. Enjoyed a couple beers and some peanuts.

From my vantage point, it appears you can only weather so many injuries, especially when Vlad is not hot. Lackey and Escobar? They can manage. Kendrick? They can still put runs up. Add Figgins to that, and Maicer, and you're starting to run into tough sledding. They need Figgins back ASAP, and if Kendrick can come back this week, it will be a nice boost to the offense. I like the experience that Rodriguez and Wood are getting, as it's always nice to know what you should expect when it becomes time to stick at the big league level, but those guys need to play every day against pitchers they can hit more consistently, and the Angels need their best hitters back in the lineup.

Also, Justin Speier has been less than impressive lately. Tonight's the first of four with the White Sox, which means I'll need to sync the radio from the net with the video from the local station, because I can't listen to the douchebags who call the Sox games.