November 11, 2021
1. Freddie Freeman made a grand appearance at the Country Music Awards last night
A week after winning the World Series, you don’t just ride off into the sunset of a trip to Disney World, you take center stage at an award show in Nashville:
Anywhere he goes, there’s that familiar refrain:
“Re-sign Freddie.”
2. It’s Veterans Day today, and we pay our respects to some of the greats of baseball history
3. The quote of the day: Rod Carew
Ninety-two career accidents, to be precise — along with 3,053 hits and a Hall of Fame career.
4. There’s a winter festival starting soon, at Dodger Stadium of all places
Breakfast in the evening. Beer in the morning. Winter wonderland in sunny Los Angeles.
These computer-generated people sure do look like they’re having a good time on the ice rink:
5. The “Reliever of the Year” awards were announced yesterday
Josh Hader for the N.L., Liam Hendriks for the A.L.
6. The worst baseball tattoo of the year: This Braves fan
It’s a slow week for baseball news, so bear with me, folks — and take some delight in the fact that you won’t have to shave the back of your leg (arm?) for the rest of your life just to keep this thing looking its very best:
7. More from the baseball offseason highlights world
It’s gone fishing season.
8. An update on where Kris Bryant might end up this winter
A bit of an odd assessment from the Giants, considering he carried the team at times late this summer to hang on and win the N.L. West, seemed genuinely adored by the fans and bats will be needed with the retirement of Buster Posey.
But, if this is accurate, he may not be back:
So, maybe?
9. The actual baseball highlight of the day
Slim pickings, but here’s Adeiny Hechavarria, longtime former MLB journeyman, patrolling the infield in Japan:
10. A further installment in the robot umpire movement gets rolled out
11. In memoriam: Ed Lucas and Art Stewart
Lucas was a blind sportswriter, beloved among the Yankees, and passed away yesterday at 82.
And longtime Royals scout and baseball veteran Art Stewart passed away today at 94. Here’s an interesting bit, from his Wikipedia:
“On October 17, 2014, as the Royals advanced to their first World Series appearance since 1985, Stewart told a story from his Chicago childhood: ‘When I was 8 or 9 years old, playing ball as a kid, my mother said, ‘You know, you’re going to be in professional baseball someday.’ I said, ‘What do you mean, Mom?’ She said, ‘Because you were born on Feb. 6, Babe Ruth’s birthday, in 1927, the same year that he hit 60 home runs.’ She was right. Talk about scouting!’”
12. Veteran umpire Tom Hallion quietly retired after the World Series
Co-star of one of the great mic’d up clips in MLB history (it really picks up about halfway through).
“Our ass is in the jackpot now!”
13. Here was Brian Cashman on High Heat yesterday
From the GM meetings in California:
14. And lastly, more on Veterans and baseball history
A long, well done segment on MLB Network today:
