Opening Day

Bulls 2, Norfolk 1

Back at the park at last. Weather got cool near the end, but still it was a beautiful night and a decent crowd.

The team that took the field only had two new guys, second baseman Adam Kennedy and right fielder Ray Sadler. Interesting to see Jon Weber in a leadoff role. Think he did that a couple of times at the end of last season, but not sure that’s his forte. He did bang a double off the left field wall in the 5th, though. Also interesting to see Elliot Johnson at third. He handled his opportunities well.

Mitch Talbot looked just fine. Not quite sure why he’s had trouble when called up to Tampa, but I’m happy to have him here. Then Montoyo ran through five relievers, all of them, except Thayer, new to the Bulls — Childers, de Paula, Choate, Abreu, and Thayer. Childers walked the bases full in the 6th but got out of it and Thayer gave up a lead-off triple in the 9th but got out of that.

Reid Brignac got the first Bulls hit of the season, but Norfolk’s hot prospect Matt Weiters threw him out trying to steal second (on the other hand, Weiters overthrew second and gave the base to Ruggiano in the 8th).

I’m worried (maybe too early) about speed in this team. We’ll see.

Highlight of the night for quirkiness was Ray Sadler breaking three bats, two of them at one at-bat. David Fellerath at Indy Week chased it down after the game to discover that the bats were free, which leads me to a the something for nothing observation.

All of which would have been even more fun if I could have been listening to the commentary on the radio! I read the fine print when the Bulls announced their radio “partnership” with 99.9 a week or so ago, I even commented on it. But opening day without radio coverage? Guess if I’d have had an HD pocket radio (do they exist?) or maybe an iPhone to listen via the web, I could have had a connection. Sigh. Who wants to listen to a Canes game? It’s BASEBALL!