May 22, 2021
1. Alex Rodriguez is releasing a makeup brand
This one tops all other stories, this is the lead. We’ll get to the triple play, to the 20–1 blowout in Atlanta, we’ll get there.
But right now, there’s this:
The roasting was glorious, immediate, universal.
“He was tired of stealing J-Lo’s.”
“This isn’t The Onion?”
“Yeah I’d pick Ben Affleck, too.”
And then the great Jose Canseco, performing the final KO:
2. In masculine baseball news: The Yankees turn a huge triple play
Tie game. Ninth inning. Two on. No outs (obviously). And the first triple play of 2021 essentially saves the game.
The reactions on the players are great:
The next inning, they walked off on a Gleyber Torres base hit, and this was-struggling Yankees team is now the hottest in baseball:
3. Trevor Bauer taunts the crowd in San Francisco
11 strikeouts, no earned runs, 6.1 IP. An absolutely great performance — and the Dodgers win their first matchup against the first-place Giants.
Bauer had a full bag of antics up his sleeve:
Personally, the taunting stuff isn’t my thing (just comes off as dweeby/cringe, in Bauer’s case), but hey — I guess that means I’m just “old” or an “idiot”, if you ever log on to see what the “internet” thinks.
4. Today in Astros heckling updates: “F*** Altuve!” is back
Yankees vs White Sox, in New York. The Astros playing thousands of miles away in Arlington. And yet, the lingering nostalgia of baseball’s most beloved chant made its way into the stands, with those two famous words:
5. Fernando Tatis Jr. has been back for two games, HRs in both
And flips the bat with that nonchalant twirl — the guy is must-watch TV every night:
And the Padres won 15–1, now tied for the best record in baseball:
6. In other blowout news, the Braves win 20–1
Seven home runs. And an eight-run outburst against a position player pitching — old school courtesy rules going (rightly) out the window:
They’re still three games under .500, but maybe this turns them around?
7. Today, in the world of softball news
If you’re walking through Central Park anytime soon, have a look around for a tall, familiar guy with 3,093 career MLB strikeouts:
And then, in real softball — the fast-pitch kind. This happened:
8. Defensive play of the night: Ramon Laureano
9. Gamer of the year: This guy at an airport
You have to admire the gumption to just commit to it.
10. MLB umpires are wearing Jordans on the field now
Not sure we’ll ever see Joe West quite get on board.
11. Jesse Winker hit 3 HRs and got “MVP!” chants in Cincinnati
The Reds are officially the sneaky team of the National League, and who would’ve imagined — Winker and Castellanos are two of the best hitters in all of baseball this year:
12. Last night’s Rays vs. Blue Jays game was incredible
As it turned out, I was lucky enough to be there for the first-ever outdoor Rays game in Pinellas County, a very cool piece of history — with the Blue Jays still playing in nearby Dunedin, about 20 miles north of The Trop.
An outdoor “road game” in Tampa Bay, cowbells clanging, and a mammoth two-run shot from the beloved Ji-Man Choi, coming off the bench:
And the Rays barely surviving through two scoreless extra innings, finally capped off by a massive grand slam in the top of the 12th, two outs — with the “road” crowd in a little neighborhood ballpark loving every moment.
Eight wins in a row, with the Rays nearing the lead in the AL East:
13. Roster updates: Adames to Milwaukee, Hicks getting surgery
Earlier in the day, the Rays hugged one of their key players goodbye, in a bit of an odd early-season trade — sent to the Brewers for two bullpen arms:
And then the Yankees, who’ve just lost a key bat maybe for the year — with a torn “sheath” in the wrist:
14. Ejection of the night: Brad Miller fired up
And the Phillies fall to 22–23, in a still very wide-open NL East — with the injured mediocre Mets running the show so far:
15. New updates on baseball cheating controversies
Unclear what Erik Kratz knows or what’ll come of it, and likewise with the pine tar issue (see below) — but yesterday there was a flurry of talk about scandals left and right:
16. Penultimately: Trevor Bauer gets thrown out at first from RF
Easily one of the most exciting plays in baseball, and it only happens a few times a year, if that. Always run hard out of the box, children:
17. And lastly: The great Don Orsillo “bat flipping” a piece of paper
If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, send me a DM on Twitter! I’ll be doing them all year, to package the best highlights and stories from around the league — and to make baseball easier and quicker to follow.
Twitter: @bbletter
