GMDM speaks, and... 22 innings!

First things first: this comes three days late, but when The Man speaks, he has this forum:

On the meaning of happiness: "We're encouraged," [Dayton] Moore said. "I would use that word over 'happy.' Just encouraged over what we're doing."

On universal inevitabilities: "Offensively, we've certainly got to improve, and we will. Once David [DeJesus] gets back in the flow of things. ... Mark Teahen will swing the bat better, Jose Guillen hasn't gotten going and Tony Pena will be swinging the bat better. And we'll get more production out of John Buck and Miguel Olivo.

"Right now, we're getting production out of Alex [Gordon] and Billy [Butler] and Grud [Mark Grudzielanek], of course. [Ross] Gload's been producing, but those other guys I think will be even better."

On fate and providence: "We had a couple situations in the last Minnesota series when we were just one big hit away from putting us in a position to win a game."

On fortune: "You're always open-minded on how to improve your roster, but most clubs are in a wait-and-see mode right now and just evaluating their talent. Obviously, there was a lot of thought over the winter [about] putting your team together and now you want to see it play for a while."

We eagerly anticipate what's to come.

In other parts of the baseball world...

We opened up our browser today to find this headline, which made us gasp: "Rockies top Padres in 22 innings." You can read about it here; judging by the box score, the six-hour, 16-minute game was probably unbearable to watch (Rockies: 20 strikeouts), but at least it inspired one of the better leads in a baseball story we've seen in a while. From Troy E. Renck, Denver Post:

This wasn't a game. It was a relationship.

The Rockies and San Diego Padres stayed close for hours Thursday night. Problem is they don't know to break it off. Or break away.

After 6 hours, 16 minutes, 15 pitchers, 658 pitches and even a kid mooning the in-stadium camera, the Rockies outlasted the Padres 2-1 in 22 innings, mercifully drawing the curtain on the longest game in both franchises' history.

Breakfast anyone?

KC vs. Oakland, 9:05 p.m. CT; everybody's favorite pitcher, Brian Bannister (3 GS, 3-0, 0.86 ERA), faces Chad Gaudin (2 GS, 0-1, 7.20 ERA). On a personal note, I've made a flurry of long-term bets with a friend of mine, an A's fan, and one of them is who'll end the year with a better VORP, Bannister or Gaudin. The other is whether Oakland will finish within two games of the Royals by season's end (I sorta went out on a limb and said no). This game, needless to say, is of utmost importance.

And if you haven't heard, the A's Mike Sweeney used to play for the Royals.

POSTSCRIPT: Add one to the "cerebral" counter, this time courtesy of Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.