Game Report May 2, 2005: Angels 5, M's 0

I know that the M's are better this year than last. I am grateful that they are improved. I think Beltre is going to be great. I am encouraged that Sexson's shoulder hasn't disintegrated in the first month.

All that being said, much of last night's game felt like Mariners baseball circa 1983. or 1992. The completely dead crowd, the peculiar thump of foul balls landing on empty seats, the unmistakably loud cheering of the scattered Angels fans. It was pretty bad.

The crowd did go crazy for Ichiro's catch in the seventh, giving him a prolonged standing ovation and pretty solid I-chi-ro! chant. The crowd stood again at then end of the inning to salute Ichiro as he came into the dugout. One thing about crowds of 24K, they are usually pretty solid baseball fans, who know when to cheer. As opposed to the usual Opening Day Yahoos who only clap when the screen tells them to.

The catch was amazing by the way. If you havent seen it, Ichiro climbs up the fence and hangs there with his leg and off arm, before spearing the ball a good two feet above the wall and falling to the ground. Some of Junior's wall climbing antics may have been better, becuase Ichiro did have a little time to think about this one, but basically he was Spiderman out there. Great, great, catch.

Franklin was terrible, walking 5 in 5 innings. The only other excitement was provided when one drunk Angels fan was removed by the cops and promptly pitched forward in aisle, falling pretty hard. Not a good plan to take a tumble when the cops come to get you by the way. Later another shirtless fan hopped on to the field and made a good show of it before being tackled by security. The security guy would have a shot making the Seahawks by the way, which I know isn't all that impressive.

Finally we had a Shin-soo sighting as Choo got to bat in the ninth. I was slightly befuddled by the guy behind us screaming, "Jimmy! Jimmy!" as Choo hit, but he looked, well impatient. And who wouldn't be when your last at-bat was 11 days ago?