2. I've heard for years that Japanese baseball crowds are infinitely more sedate than American crowds, but I couldn't actually imagine how that played out in a real game. Well, you'd be surprised - I certainly was. It was so quiet that after a strikeout, you could hear a player yelling at himself as he walked to the bench. Of course, the place went nuts during Matsui's ABs, and that in and of itself has got to make the Sheffields, Loftons, Browns and other assorted egomaniacs take notice; they might be big stars, but Matsui is nearly a deity over there.
3. The Tokyo Dome has more foul territory for a baseball-only stadium than any other stadium I can think of. Also, there are huge screens along the 1st- and 3rd-base sides, presumably to prevent fans from being hit from screaming line drives. While that's a nice idea, it's a little wierd to see. The fans really appear cut off from what's happening on the field.
4. I love Tino Martinez, and I don't mind it so much when the Yankees lose because of him. Yankee broadcaster and pretentious dickhead Michael Kay made an interesting point during the game; a couple years ago Tino got robbed of a Gold Glove by Raffy Palmiero who played a total of 14 games at 1st base. Kay pointed out that Mike Mussina also won a Gold Glove at pitcher the same year, and that Moose played more games in the field than Palmiero. Members of the Gold Glove committee: well done.
5. This morning I drank coffee while watching the game. Tomorrow, I might switch to beer.
