Category: Uncategorized
-
Draw your own conclusions
After only a handful of spring games, everybody’s got answers even if nobody is asking questions. Most of the experts are sitting at home, watching the occasional broadcast from the safety of their den. Those writers and broadcasters tasked with rating a team’s success take advantage of access and inside connections. I haven’t heard many…
-
Exceeding expectations
Every year in each professional sport, a player is taken with the first pick in the draft. More often than not, a team will surprise the world and with a questionable pick. Every once in a great while, that selection will be a pleasant surprise. Someone far smarter than I can rank all of each…
-
The lost leader…
Initially, I thought of Walgreen’s and their weekly inserts in the newspapers. Remember newspapers? Back in the day, they’d coax you with great deals on large bottles of booze, you’d go in and purchase your liquor and spend more money on impulse purchases. Retailers, restaurants and bars sacrifice something in order to gain loyalty. Pro…
-
The real Day One..
There were a couple games played on Friday, but Grapefruit and Cactus League play started yesterday. For the most part, everyone seems happy with the rule changes. I thought I’d include one last column elucidating the changes, expected results and what happened in the minor leagues after instituting some of the changes. 2023 MLB rule…
-
Does size matter?
I have to question some of the numbers MLB cited in defending the new rule changes. Earlier this winter, a report said that injuries in the minor leagues were down in 2022 due to the increase in base size. At the time I wasn’t thinking clearly. In all the years of parsing every silly comment…
-
And then there was Bote
Expectations are pretty high for the 2023 Cubs even if the national experts, folks at FanDuel and PECOTA think otherwise. I’m not sure they have the chip on their collective shoulder or not, but I don’t think the Cubs believe they’re not in it to win it. When push comes to shove, I think the…
-
Winning does matter
At some levels of little league, everyone in the lineup gets to bat every game. Teams and leagues don’t emphasize winning-even if others do. However, MLB is about winning and turning a hefty profit. As such, roster and lineup construction is paramount to success. The better constructed teams spend big bucks on the most important…
-
Everything’s coming up roses..
No matter what baseball team you root for, this time of year is special. Hours from now, quasi-reality will strike and somebody will go 0-3 and some pitcher will serve up a home run. But for now, everything is magical. To date, every report coming out of Arizona and Florida has been glowing. Every pitcher…
-
Can a meal or drink transport you?
Since Trader Vic’s closed its latest version 6 or 7 years ago, I wondered how many establishments can transport one to another locale. Usually, it’s the decor or ambiance of a restaurant or bar, or maybe the menu. For the better part of the last 21 hours, it’s been raining Katz and Doggs here in…
-
Enjoy the ride
Miguel Cabrera is calling it quits this season after 21 years in the bigs. It appears he’s going out on his own terms. The game is better for having him around all these years. There’s nothing quite like watching him enjoy himself on the field. While I’ll miss him, I look forward to his farewell…
I'd rather be sitting in a ballpark. 