Mets ObituaryJune 29, 2023 - Much is being written about the disaster that is the NY Mets. It feels like vultures congregating around the corpse. Everyone is there to feast on the carcass. Maybe there is another way to look at the 2023 Mets chaos. It lies in the fact that for quite a long while, teams have been very competitive with extraordinary payrolls. However, last year with a payroll of $56,000,000 the Cleveland Guardians had a great year including a trip to the playoffs. The Tampa Rays are constantly one of the best teams with a low payroll. Other teams with low payrolls that have competed well would include the Oakland A’s (until this year). This year Tampa and Baltimore have the best records in the AL East. Cleveland just moved into first place in the Central. Miami has the second best record in the NL East. Cincinnati and Arizona are in first place. Now the season is only half played but the big spenders are looking poor right now. Besides the Mets, look at the Padres, Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Angels, and Blue Jays. These are the top 7 payrolls in baseball. What is not on that list? A first place team.- The Mets’ Winning Streak: A Turnaround Worth Every PennyMay 22, 2023 - In the world of baseball, fortunes can change in an instant. For the New York Mets, the last five games have been a testament to this fact. The team has managed to string together a remarkable five-game winning streak, turning their season around in a way that is as impressive as it is necessary, given the hefty salaries they are shelling out to their players. Game 1: Mets vs. Rays (May 17, 2023) The Mets' winning streak began with a thrilling 10th inning walk-off victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. Trailing by three runs in the ninth, the Mets' future stars stepped up to the plate. Francisco Álvarez, the organization’s top prospect, launched a game-tying, three-run homer off Jason Adam. This set the stage for Pete Alonso, who despite battling a severe sinus infection, delivered a three-run homer in the 10th inning, securing an 8-7 victory for the Mets. Game 2: Mets vs. Rays (May 18, 2023) The following day, the Mets continued their winning ways, securing a 3-2 victory over the Rays. Despite battling a sinus infection, Pete Alonso homered for the third straight game, demonstrating his resilience and commitment to the team. His 16th homer of the season…
- Swing Badder Contract: The $20 Million Misstep with Aaron HicksMay 21, 2023 - Ever heard of a "Swing Badder Contract"? It's when a baseball team signs a player to a big contract, hoping for some serious bang for their buck, only to find out they've got more of a whimper. Well, today we're talking about a prime example of that with the New York Yankees and Aaron Hicks. Back in 2019, the Yanks signed Hicks to a seven-year deal worth a cool $70 million. Now, if you're not a baseball person, you might be thinking, "Wow, that's a lot of dough!" And you'd be right. The Yankees were expecting big things from Hicks—clutch hits, diving catches, you name it. But, as with many things in life, things didn't quite go as planned. Instead of the hoped-for heroics, Hicks was more often found on the injured list than on the field. And when he did play, let's just say his stats weren't exactly impressive. In fact, in his 28 games this season, Hicks was only hitting .188/.263/.261. So what did the Yankees do? They made the tough call to designate Hicks for assignment. It's a decision that essentially means they're willing to pay Hicks $20 million just to walk away. Ouch. Talk about a…
- Michael Conforto: The Comeback KidMay 19, 2023 - When the San Francisco Giants signed Michael Conforto to a two-year, $36 million contract this year, there were a lot of question marks. The talented outfielder was coming off a season lost to right shoulder surgery, and no one was quite sure if he would be able to regain his All-Star form. But as the season unfolds, it seems like the Giants' gamble is starting to pay off. Conforto had a slow start to the season, which was to be expected considering he spent all of last season on the sidelines. But recently, he's started to heat up. Over his past 24 at-bats, he's accumulated 10 hits, including three home runs, adding 117 points of OPS in the process. It's a promising sign that Conforto is finding his rhythm and adding firepower to the Giants' lineup. But let's talk dollars and cents. Conforto's contract with the Giants is for $18 million per year, and includes an opt-out after the 2023 season if he accumulates a total of 350 plate appearances. So, is the Giants' investment paying off? If we look at the numbers, Conforto's recent performance is encouraging. The surge in his batting average and the power he's demonstrated with…
- Ten GamesMay 19, 2023 - The St. Louis Cardinals crushed the Dodgers last. Night 16-8. I wasn’t that long ago that the Cardinals were suffering deep in last place in their division. People were talking about firing the manager. Every week more losses piled up. After last night’s victory, I noticed that these same Cardinals have won 8 of their last 10 games. They sit only 6 games behind Milwaukee for first place. They are only 4.5 games out of a Wild Card position. There are still over 110 games to play The baseball season is a very long marathon and not a sprint. Teams will have winning and losing streak. After a record setting start, Tampa is 4-6 in their last 10 games and only 3.5 games ahead of the second place Orioles. Did I just say the Orioles? The injured Yankees last 10 games have found them winning 7. This is the time of the season that we need to seriously look at the standings only once every 10 games as day to day is too volatile. Nobody has won anything and nobody has been eliminated. How will your next ten games go for your team. I will say this. Watch the Padres,…
Rays Dominating Baseball: A Surprising Start to the 2023 SeasonMay 12, 2023 - That buzzing noise overhead is the fast-moving Rays who seem to be racking up wins by doing it the old fashion way – dominating the game of baseball to start the 2023 season. Team Stats 1st in Batting Average 1st in wins 1st in Home Runs 1st in Earned Run Average 1st in Runs Batted In 2nd in Hits 5th in Stolen Bases That leaves two categories they don’t have a top 5 finish – Saves and Strikeouts. 2023 has opened up with the Rays Dominating a division that has zero under .500 teams and in a year that I for one thought they would take a step back they seem to be taking a step into overdrive. Are they the Yankees of 2022 starting out white hot then slowly coming back to reality only to whimper out in the playoffs? Are these stats even sustainable? The law of averages says no on both accounts however one thing that the Rays do have going for them is the new baseball schedule – After this weekend series with the Yankees they have 6 games left with against a shell of team that has over $100 Million dollars on the Injured list…
The Player Who Never PlayedNovember 23, 2022 - There is a major league baseball player who played in 105 games and never batted. He never played in the field. This is a player in the Baseball Almanac who never swung a bat or caught a ball yet he played in 105 Major League baseball games. Herb Washington was a sprinter hired by the Oakland A’s to run the bases. As a track and field competitor, in 1972 he set both the 50 yard and 60 yard dash records. In 1974, Charlie Finley, owner of the Oakland A’s signed him to a major league contract. He even played in the 1974 World Series. Oakland won the World Series and Washington received a World Series ring. Why is this unusual? He didn’t own a glove or a bat. He came to the game, got dressed, and would go in to run one time. When the inning was over he could go home. His only job was to pinch run when a slow runner got to first base. He only has four statistics to his name. 105 games, 33 runs, 31 stolen bases, 17 caught stealing. In the World Series he played three games and did not steal a base or…
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