June 8, 2021
1. Oddly, there were only three MLB games last night
It was a tragic day, checking the schedule mid-afternoon and seeing just three games listed. So the newsletter might be a little thin today, having combed the internet desert to find enough worthy baseball stories.
2. The highlight of the three games was a Manny Machado HR
An easy pop-up just down the first base line, Anthony Rizzo gets under it, and it rolls off his glove and into errordom. And then, the very next pitch Machado goes yard, slicing a ball just over the wall in right.
Has to be one of the worst feelings in baseball, for Rizzo:
3. Important news: Live sting rays finally return to The Trop
Tropicana Field is opening up to full capacity soon, and so is the rays tank — the one fantastic, redeeming factor of the entire park:
Remember when Jose Lobaton hit a walk-off HR into the tank, in the 2013 ALDS?
4. Bobby Valentine is running for mayor of Stamford, Connecticut
Here’s his latest campaign ad:
5. Updates on the coming crackdown on “sticky stuff”
Eight to ten umpire checks on pitchers per game:
Things might start to get interesting — if anyone gets busted on live TV, or if ERA’s start to skyrocket (and batting averages correspondingly shoot up):
6. Sighted at Fenway Park: Chris Sale throwing session
He’s rehabbing after Tommy John surgery, still with no timetable for his return — but this was a very promising sign yesterday, for a team that’s 0.5 games back in the A.L. East:
7. Today in baseball history facts: Why it’s called “scoring”
Scoring as in, slashing a mark into a piece of wood. Makes sense, but never would have put that together without seeing this:
8. Tyler Zombro (Rays prospect) has brain surgery, released from ICU
He was hit badly in the head by a comeback line drive a few nights ago, has now undergone surgery, and looks set to be released from the hospital altogether in the coming week:
9. Beautiful baseball sighting of the day: A rainbow in Anaheim
There wasn’t much baseball action last night, but that won’t stop us from admiring deep arcs soaring over the outfield — batted balls or iridescent weather spectacles:
10. A wild pick-off move in the NCAA tournament
From the same guy talking about “caves” and “Dippin’ Dots” the other day (see yesterday’s newsletter):
11. Stats of the day: Kris Bryant, Padres, Tatis Jr.
A group with the highest single season OPS with 10+ games at four positions or more, in baseball history, and Kris Bryant has cracked the list — with that many games this year at third base, left field, center field and right field:
The Padres have a lot of stolen bases this year:
And lastly, Fernando Tatis Jr. is already the all-time leading shortstop in Padres history (by WAR), after just 186 games:
12. Quote of the day: Freddie Freeman crashes Acuña’s live stream
If you ever need to scold someone, just hop on their social media live stream and head into the comments:
“Ronald, we need your bags so we can leave.”
13. Strange argument of the year: A grown woman and a gang of Red Sox fan kids
From over the weekend, the Red Sox vs. Yankees series in New York.
14. The Cubs show off their new “City Connect” jerseys
The whole idea is to represent “All 77 neighborhoods” of Chicago, which doesn’t quite explain why all it says on the front is “Wrigleyville”.
15. Roster updates and news: Kelenic, Kingery, Strickland
Long-hyped Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic got sent down yesterday, after being called up in April (his batting average was .096):
And then Scott Kingery, who had been a semi-central player on the Phillies at times the past few years:
And lastly, the Rays mysterious bullpen magic continues — where everyone who plays for them receives special pitching powers, valid only as long as they’re on the roster (see Strickland ERA numbers):
16. Duane Kuiper (Giants broadcaster) announces cancer diagnosis
17. Lastly, the ejection of the night (Independent League)
These “Chicago Dogs” games continue to be wild:
Remember the other night?
