My brother, a hard-nosed Cardinals fan, wanted to check his bank account, so he tried BOA.com thinking it would take him to Bank of America. He was wrong…

Update: Arg, whoever runs boa.com changed the picture, now a pair of creepy green eyes stare you down. Before the change, the site featured a large aereal view of old Busch Stadium in St. Louis adjacent to a snow-covered lot, and nothing more. Written in the snow in giant letters was the phrase: “CUBS SUCK.”

I was able to salvage this thumbnail:

Come hither...

When Apple announced the new iteration of it’s venerable cash cow, the iPhone 3GS, it did so emphasizing the speed of the device, capable of delivering faster web pages, loading applications in a snap, and, at least in the future, capable of utilizing AT&T’s faster mobile internet network.

Another feature that will no doubt take advantage of the upgraded horsepower will be streaming video, and because we know these MLB New Media Goons are ahead of the technology curve, Apple promptly partnered with MLB Advanced Media to showcase the live video delivery capabilities of the ubiquitous machine with its latest version of the MLB At Bat iPhone application.

And to complete this delicious new media menage a trois, AT&T gave MLBAM the exclusive right to stream live video via its 3G cellular network, a right previously denied to applications such as Skype and Slingplayer (remember them?).

This is where it gets hairy. It’s no secret that Apple’s extremely restrictive application approval process has been contradictory in giving the green light to certain kinds of applications while rejecting other, very similar ones. But now that AT&T is wanting to play VIP with MLBAM, it raises another set of questions.

AT&T denied Slingplayer access to its 3G network for video streaming saying it would clog up its 3G network, so why give the MLB New Media Goons the full spread?

From CNET:

But now AT&T is allowing MLB to do exactly what it would not allow Sling to do, which is stream live broadcast TV over its 3G cellular network onto iPhones. So what gives? Is AT&T playing favorites?

That’s exactly what Ben Scott, policy director for the advocacy group Free Press, thinks. The group issued a statement Thursday expressing its concern over what it sees as an inconsistent policy.

“We are troubled that carriers like AT&T are playing gatekeeper to the next generation of wireless Internet applications,” Scott said in a statement. “No Internet service provider should be allowed to pick winners and losers online.”

Two things: First, Net Neutrality

Up until this point, the Net Neutrality battle (remember kids, same Internet for all) was being fought on the Cable companies’ turf, in which Big Cable’s bandwidth cap threats could’ve impacted MLB’s own broadband hog, MLB.tv, but AT&T’s contradictory policy towards the MLB At Bat application seems to indicate that it will also have to be addressed on the mobile web.

(An interesting side note, MLB Advanced Media has been a busy little new media whore. Just a few days ago, Boxee, the media center that allows you to hook up your computer to your HDTV and watch TV shows and movies, announced that the alpha version of its software will give MLB.tv subscribers a way to watch games through Boxee on their TVs.)

Second (and here’s my conspiracy angle)

It’s quite curious to note that the kid not invited to the party is Sling Media, the maker of the Slingplayer application for the iPhone.  If you all remember, MLB has once before targeted Sling, which allows you to setup a box at home, and stream your cable or satellite service (or your shiny new public digital TV signal) over the internet to your laptop or mobile phone. Yes, you can stream your Sling connection to your iPhone, but it has to be done through a Wi-Fi connection (which necessitates a hot spot and not AT&T’s much wider 3G network).

Of course, MLB is not getting the double dip in broadcast rights once you stream the home team’s game when you’re away from home. And so you see, in my humble opinion at least, Bud Selig and his New Media Goons are getting AT&T to give them the 3G buffet while at the same time, Mamma Bell kicks Sling Media to the curve.

Full circle

Remember who bought Sling Media? Echo Star, the parent company for Dish Network, which never got a piece of the MLB Extra Innings pie.

Conclusion?

Clearly MLB Advanced Media is spreading its tentacles to as many areas of technology as it can. That is a good thing. But there seem to be some shady shenanigans going on behind the scenes. And what I don’t like is the fact that we have to keep paying an arm and a leg just to watch some baseball.

At the begining of the season, I was pleasantly surprised when MLB’s Advanced Media division revealed this year’s version of its live game streaming service, MLB.TV. My initial review was mostly positive for a job well done in making huge (yes, huge) improvements over last year’s service.

Given the nature of the web, and how these streaming services depend on multiple parts to work smoothly (servers, software, bandwidth, browser support, operating systems, users, etc), it was natural to expect MLB.tv to have a few glitches here and there.

Now that we’re well into the season however, issues remain front and center. Users flooded the then-support blog with issues regarding the actual quality of the video delivered, forcing MLBAM to convert the thing into a full blown support forum (with threads and all).

This can only speak to the severity and widespread nature of the issues experienced by users, and cannot be brushed away as isolated cases dependent on bandwidth or browser issues as I originally thought.

I myself have encountered glitches, where for instance, the NextDef stream would suddenly drop to standard definition during the sixth inning of a game, presumably, due to a high demand for streams. Other Umpbump MLB.tv subscribers have had the same problem.

But the latest issue, highlighted by one of our trusty readers, GP, reeks of MLB New Media Goonness. As Maury Broun of the BizofBaseball.com explains:

Those with MLB.com’s online streaming package, MLB.TV Premium found out last week that being able to access games that had just been played via MLB.TV’s archive function were no longer made available  45 min. after a game has ended, but without advance notification to subscribers, was bumped up to 90 min. – twice the waiting period.

The delay was not part of a technical issue, but rather, according to feedback from MLB.com support, a new policy instituted by MLB Advanced Media through MLB.com based on pressure from television networks.

This is the thread in question, and you only have to read the first reply by an MLB moderator to catch a whiff of contempt emanating from MLBAM. This is the post that is causing frustration with users, where the reasoning for such a sudden and crucial change to one of the selling points of the service is given in a very matter-of-fact, almost in-passing manner (the new policy is indeed buried in the fine print of the mlb.tv portal).

It’s a shame; I’d built up way too many high expectations for this thing based solely on the technological promise, but failed to recognize that these are the very same New Media Goons that tried to stab their fans in the back with that DirecTV exclusive deal.

One last thing. For the love of god, when I type mlb.tv in my browser (that is the point of the short URL, right?!?!), give me a list of all the bloody games going on, not a price-breakdown of the service. I already subscribe to the damn thing!

And don’t give me shit about the text link to the media center at the top, figure out a way to make it real freakin’ portal, not a billboard.

Don't cheer too hard Sox fans, you only get to play the Pirates three times this year.

What should a team do after getting rejected by Jake Peavy and then smacked around and dragged through 20 runs of humiliation at the hands of the Minnesota Twins? You play the Pittsburgh Pirates, of course!

To be fair, the White Sox did win two out of three from the Twinkies (all’s not lost Sox fans!), and their young ace Gavin Floyd gave no indication that the Peavy non-trade would become the albatross these Sox would carry all season long: He pitched a gem of a game on Friday, allowing no runs in eight innings, barely giving up two hits for his third win of the year.

Tonight, the Sox once again shut out the Bucs, getting another well pitched game from their starter, Clayton Richard, and with the offense flashing a little bit more lumber:  Jermaine Dye went deep, and Alexei Ramirez homered for the second time in as many games, possibly indicating he’s tired of riding both the bench and his manager’s patience.

Coincidentally, ESPN the Mag ran a feature in its current issue (available online here), lambasting the once great Pirates franchise for continuously sucking.

Of course, a three-game series versus the futility of the Pittsburgh Pirates is not going to turn the White Sox’ season around. They still have holes in center field (sigh), second base, third base, and left field. Carlos Quentin’s injuries are starting to become the issue they were feared to become at the time he was brought over from the Diamondbacks; the pitching has been spotty, and manager Kenny Williams is threatening to opt for a fire sale before this team gets further into the hole.

But at least for this series, I, for one White Sox fan, am glad the Pirates suck.

I’ve got to admit I never expected the Padres to be leading their division, even if it’s only two weeks into the season. Given how bad the team was last season, and how little they did to improve this winter, it’s definitely unexpected.

Coming off a bitter divorce, the team’s owner decided to gut the roster and concentrate on a 5-year plan that, realistically speaking, projected the Padres to suck for a while. Sure, Jake Peavy stuck around, but that’s not due to the front office’s lack of effort in trying to trade him.

I gave the Padres a D in our hot offseason action series and I highly doubt anyone expected them to come out of the gate and lead their division. But here they are, in first place.

Pitching seems to be the secret to the team’s early success, particularly from Chris Young who’s 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA. Collectively, they’ve done quite well: They’re second in team ERA, fourth to last in earned runs, have allowed only four home runs, and are fourth in WHIP.

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For all the bile and hatred Bud Selig and his New Media Goons invoked a few years ago with their DirecTV exclusive deal, you’ve got to give them credit for turning things around and winning me over with this year’s incarnation of MLB.TV.

This productivity killer app, created by the Advance Media arm of MLB, has come a long way since its first inception, and for 2009, there are vast improvements over last year’s not-half-bad service.

One of the major differences is the adoption of Adobe’s Flash technology over Microsoft’s Silverlight (which was used last year). It’s rumored that delivery glitches and installation issues are mainly what prompted baseball’s new media goons to make the switch, and it’s a no brainer. (It also sparked a war of words of sorts between MLBAM and Microsoft).

Although impressive, Silverlight was a newcomer to the web interactivity platforms (explaining the glitches), while Adobe’s Flash engine is by far the industry standard. A true cross-operating system, cross-browser, platform, Flash will no doubt continue to be adopted by more and more devices as they become available (read: smart phones, netbooks, and other portable gizmos).

The delivery is far more fluid than last year, and even though the fancy transitions from one screen to the next remain, they feel even more seamless. One major improvement this year is the focus on the game you’re currently watching, as the actual video screen rarely shrinks when you prompt for various in-game menus like box scores, tracker, highlights, etc.

You also get a toolbar of sorts that reveals itself when you hover near the bottom-middle area of your window (I tested using FireFox on an Intel Mac).

Another major difference this year is the emphasis on the quality of the video (which, alas, is only available with the premium, more expensive package). Last year’s service was decent, but even though they promised “TV-quality” streams at a whopping 1.2 MB a second, the quality wasn’t there yet.

It is now. The screen looks crisp, colors are vivid, pixels are almost (almost) non-existent. The improvement is due to this year’s iteration of what MLB (along with their friends at Swarmcast) like to call “NexDef,” a “smart” video delivery system that adjusts to your bandwidth while maintaining video quality in real time.

There is also a “video quality” meter that reveals just how good of a stream your crappy internet connection is preventing you from watching.

The added video quality makes watching multiple games a better experience than in year’s past. A few years ago I decided to try that disastrous MLB.TV Mosaic Windows program and I gave up on it a few minutes after it didn’t load. The new set up is simple and elegant. You get four options on the bar directly above your video screen from where you can chose whether to watch two games (p-in-p style, or side-by-side), or watch four streams in a square grid. Selecting which games you watch is as easy as clicking on the new squares and then clicking on the available games from the menu on the right.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another new feature: DVR. Personally I haven’t used many DVR (digital video recorders) in the past, and have marginal experience with them, so I haven’t tested this feature too much. I did play around with “rewinding” but it took a few seconds for the stream to play back so I gave up.

I do see myself pausing and rewinding in the event of a nifty play or a big-time home run.

Overall I would give this year’s MLB.TV a 9 out of 10; there are still some technical issues that prop up every now and then, but the software feels and looks great. Let’s not forget that GameDay Audio is included in the regular and the premium packages (which you’ll need when the FOX Saturday restrictions kick-in – FU FOX). Also, MLB.COM set up a blog dedicated to news and updates about the service, offering a chance for fans to deride or praise these new media goons. Oh right, and it’s $10 bucks cheaper than last year’s price, so from now on I’ll use that term loosely.

» MLB.TV Premium is $109.95 for the year/$19.95 monthly, while MLB.TV regular is $75.95 for the year/$14.95 monthly

Wise is the man in Center

Those of you who read UmpBump regularly are aware of my gripe with the Center Field situation in the South Side of Chicago. For the past four years, General Manager Kenny Williams has repeatedly tried to find a talented middle outfielder with little to show for it.

This season, the Sox have opted to give the job to Dewayne Wise, a career minor leaguer, who beat out perennial prospects Jerry Owens and Brian Anderson, as well as the young Chris Getz. How did Wise win the job? By flashing intangibles like energy level and desire.

Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times reports:

According to general manager Ken Williams, finally deciding on Wise had to do with desire. Considering the way the 31-year-old Wise has fought to stay in the game, it was a no-brainer at the end of the day.

“For a few years, we told Jerry what we expected in terms of the energy level and the attitude for the leadoff position,” Williams said. “When you’re at the top of the lineup in the order, you got to have some fight. I’m not saying Jerry doesn’t have it, but it’s not up to where we want it to be, obviously.

What’s most disappointing is the end of Owens’ career as a South Sider. I will include myself amongst those that thought he’d be able to turn the corner and become the leadoff/center fielder Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen have longed for. Alas, his being waived is a sad culmination to a tenure that never really purported greatness, but sure set expectations high for the Sox.

But “energy level”?! I’m as guilty as anyone for believing in the intangibles. Yes, desire is awesome! And energy level rocks! But you know what might be great? A center fielder with, oh, I don’t know, an ability to get on base! In over 900 minor league games Wise has an OBP of .310. That’s freakin’ terrible!

The World Baseball Classic is now officially under way, and in honor of this nascent tradition and tournament we here at UmpBump are counting down a series of posts highlighting the All-Time teams from several countries. Next up is Cuba.

Like many of the other Caribbean countries, Cuba has a rich and storied baseball tradition. So much so that despite the political and military rift between this island nation and the U.S., the Baltimore Orioles and a team featuring Cuban all-stars played a two-game series in 1999.

Moreover, despite the Castro regime that prohibits Cuban ballplayers to freely travel to the U.S. to play professional baseball, there have been more than 150 peloteros cubanos who have graced the infields and outfields of the major leagues.

Another controversial tidbit that must be mentioned is the fact that two of the greatest Cuban hitters of all time, Rafael Palmeiro and Jose Canseco, have both been implicated in baseball’s struggle with performance enhancing drugs.

So if we were to compile the All-Time Cuban lineup excluding those two, we’d get something like this:

C Joe Azcue
1B Tony Perez
2B Cookie Rojas / Tony Taylor
SS Leo Cardenas / Bert Campaneris
3B Bobby Estalella
LF Minnie Minoso
CF Jose Cardenal
RF Tony Oliva

Bench:
2B Tito Fuentes
SS Zoilo Versalles

Although there have been many outstanding Cuban outfielders, shortstops, and first basemen, the task becomes considerably more difficult when looking for standouts at second base or at the hot corner.

Fortunately, both Cookie Rojas and Tony Taylor were both natural second basemen and amassed more than 500 career RBI each. In the outfield, Minnie Minoso, one of the greatest Cuban hitters, played most of his career in left field. Although Tony Oliva played mostly center, he spent some time in right, so that allows Jose Cardenal to patrol the middle outfield.

Joe Azcue wasn’t the greatest catcher, but he was one of the few Cuban catchers to play in the majors and have a relatively productive career.

As far as the rotation, we have:

Luis Tiant
Dolf Luque
Mike Cuellar
Camilo Pascual
Livan Hernandez

I’d be curious to know how many more games pitchers like Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras would have won had they pitched during their prime in the bigs. Livan Hernandez made the list based on the number of career wins, with the other four pitchers being the winningest Cuban starters that have played on American soil.

In the bullpen, the team would have:

CL Danys Baez
RP Diego Segui
RP Mike Fornieles

From the list its not hard to realize that many of those Cuban greats played a few generations ago, and so, I bet this team would look a lot different had the Castro regime and the U.S. embargo not prevented more Cuban ballplayers to freely play in the bigs.

Did we leave anyone out? Let us know in the comments!